FCO755 Human Rights Report 2015 - WEB PDF

Human Rights
& Democracy
The 2015 Foreign &

Commonwealth Office Report
Human Rights & Democracy

The 2015 Foreign &
Commonwealth Office Report
Presented to Parliament
by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
by Command of Her Majesty
April 2016
Cm 9245
Crown copyright 2016

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Cover image: UNHCR/Kate Holt

Rwanda / Burundian refugees / An elderly woman who has fled from Burundi waits for assistance in Mahama Refugee Camp, Rwanda
Wednesday, May 6, 2015. UNHCR / Kate Holt / May 2015
Contents
Preface by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond............................................ 2

Foreword by Minister for Human Rights Baroness Anelay........................... 3
CHAPTER I: Democratic Values and the Rule of Law.................................... 5
Democracy................................................................................................................................ 5
Elections.............................................................................................................................................................6
Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)................................................................................................6
Freedom of Expression.......................................................................................................................................7
Restriction of Civil Society Space.......................................................................................................................8
Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)...............................................................................................................................................8
Non-discrimination ................................................................................................................... 8
Womens Rights.................................................................................................................................................8
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGB&T) Rights..................................................................................10
Child Rights......................................................................................................................................................10
Business and Human Rights..................................................................................................... 12

The Department for International Developments (DFID) Work on Economic and Social Rights.14
CHAPTER II: Human Rights for a Stable World..........................................15

Migration and Refugee Crisis................................................................................................... 15
Countering Extremism............................................................................................................. 15
Counter Terrorism ...........................................................................................................................................16
Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB)...............................................................................................................17
Post-Holocaust Issues......................................................................................................................................18
Death Penalty and Torture Prevention .................................................................................... 18

Conflict .................................................................................................................................. 21
Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) ....................................................................................................21
Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC)...............................................................................................................22
UN Peacekeeping and Human Rights..............................................................................................................22
Peacebuilding...................................................................................................................................................22
Responsibility to Protect, and Mass Atrocity Prevention.................................................................................23
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA)...............................................................................................................23
Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs)...............................................................................23
Private Security Companies (PSCs)...................................................................................................................24
Responsible sourcing of minerals....................................................................................................................24
CHAPTER III Strengthening the Rules Based International System.......... 25

The United Nations ................................................................................................................ 25
Country issues..................................................................................................................................................25
UK candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council (HRC)..................................................................................26
Thematic issues................................................................................................................................................27
Universal Periodic Review (UPR).......................................................................................................................27
Treaty Monitoring Bodies and Special Procedures..........................................................................................27
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).....................................................................................................28
Sanctions.........................................................................................................................................................28
Europe.................................................................................................................................... 29
The European Union (EU).................................................................................................................................29
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)........................................................................31
Council of Europe (CoE)...................................................................................................................................32
Commonwealth...................................................................................................................... 33
International Criminal Justice System ...................................................................................... 33
CHAPTER IV: Human Rights Priority Countries .......................................... 35

Afghanistan............................................................................................................................ 35
Bahrain................................................................................................................................... 35
Peoples Republic of Bangladesh ............................................................................................ 36
Burma..................................................................................................................................... 36
Burundi .................................................................................................................................. 37
Central African Republic (CAR)................................................................................................ 37
China...................................................................................................................................... 38
Colombia................................................................................................................................ 39
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) ....................................................................... 39
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)................................................................................ 40
Egypt...................................................................................................................................... 40
Eritrea..................................................................................................................................... 41
Iran ........................................................................................................................................ 41
Iraq ........................................................................................................................................ 42
The State of Israel and The Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs)........................................... 43
Libya....................................................................................................................................... 43
Republic of Maldives .............................................................................................................. 44
Pakistan.................................................................................................................................. 44
Russia..................................................................................................................................... 45
Saudi Arabia............................................................................................................................ 46
Somalia .................................................................................................................................. 46
South Sudan .......................................................................................................................... 47
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka .............................................................................. 47
Sudan..................................................................................................................................... 48
Syria........................................................................................................................................ 48
Turkmenistan.......................................................................................................................... 49
Uzbekistan.............................................................................................................................. 49
Venezuela .............................................................................................................................. 50
Yemen.................................................................................................................................... 50
Zimbabwe .............................................................................................................................. 51
ANNEX A: Three Human Rights Themes: Vision And Goals.......................... I

ANNEX B: FCO Human Rights Programme Funding..................................... V
1 Human Rights and Democracy: The 2015 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report
Preface by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond
On Human Rights Day last year, I explained that the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office had mainstreamed human rights, making it a core part of the everyday
work of all British diplomats. As Baroness Anelay sets out in the Foreword, good
governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights are not just goods in
their own right they are also the fundamental building blocks of economic
development, and thus of a more stable, peaceful and prosperous world.
This report provides examples of the important work we have undertaken to support and strengthen
human rights, under three broad themes: democratic values and the rule of law; human rights for a stable
world; and strengthening the rules-based international system. These themes provide our Posts with
the flexibility they need to tailor their human rights work to have the greatest impact on the ground.
The report also introduces our concept of Human Rights Priority Countries. This is not intended
to be an exhaustive list of human rights trouble spots. Nor is it a homogenous group. Rather,
we have chosen to focus on 30 countries where we judge that the UK can make a real difference.
Some of these are, in our analysis, countries in which the worst, or greatest number of, human
rights violations take place. Others are countries where we judge we have the potential to make a
greater impact as a result of the strength of our bilateral relations and our ability to influence.
Making progress particularly in countries in which a lack of freedom and respect for human rights
is entrenched will often be difficult. It will require determined and sustained engagement, often
in collaboration with like-minded partners and allies. However, we have at our disposal a broad
spectrum of tools; and we will bring them to bear in ways calculated to deliver the best effect,
according to local circumstances. The Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy
which we have doubled this year to 10.6 million will play an important role in this delivery.
This report is deliberately more concise than its predecessors, to make it better-focused and more
accessible to non-specialist readers. I commend it to all those who share the view that the promotion
of human rights is a fundamental part of the promotion of the British national interest.
The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP

Foreign Secretary
Foreword by Minister for Human Rights Baroness Anelay
For those of us devoted to human rights work, 2015 brought hope as well as
despair. In different ways, Burma, Sri Lanka and Colombia all showed that progress
really does depend on effective leadership from the top. Hope is also growing
that perpetrators of the worst crimes can be held accountable. The conviction
of Radovan Karadzic holds a message for warmongers everywhere. Elsewhere,
the picture was bleak, with gross violations and abuses of human rights, not
least in Syria, other parts of the Middle East, Burundi and South Sudan.
2015 proved the value of international co-operation. The 70th
anniversary of the UN and the new Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) confirmed our interdependence, the crucial
contribution of civil society, and the relevance of the Prime
Ministers Golden Thread (good governance and the rule of
law). In the UK, the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and
a new National Security Strategy on the back of a Strategic
Defence and Security Review, underlined the benefits of
human rights, and our strong interest in sharing those benefits
with international partners. The point is not abstract. It is about
people at home and abroad; their well-being. That was the
word used by the Head of the UN in Geneva when I presented
to the organisation a replica of Magna Carta and debated its
significance with children from the international school. It fits
well with the UKs practical approach to human rights.
parliamentarians and others with relevant expertise. I wanted

to determine how we could have most impact, using the full
range of tools at our disposal.
Following the general election in May, I reviewed our

approach to human rights with my Ministerial colleagues at
the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. I listened to civil society,
Our approach gives the FCOs network the freedom it needs

to identify where and how the UK can make most difference,
We decided to focus human rights work around three themes:

>> democratic values and the rule of law;
>> strengthening the rules-based international system; and
>> human rights for a stable world.
How these themes play out in practice is the subject of this
report. A shorter answer can be found at the end, where we
have included our human rights vision and goals, on which I
have encouraged FCOs network to concentrate. I think that
will reassure readers about the breadth and range of our
ambitions.
and just do it. At the same time, our themes will help ensure
that our approach is strategic and consistent exploiting and
enhancing our national reputation and soft power.
The Foreign Secretary has said that human rights are part of
the everyday work of all British diplomats. We will continue to
mainstream human rights across the FCO, making the most
of our world-class diplomatic network. Human rights work is
integrated with our consular, prosperity and security goals. It is
conducted on the front line wherever possible, but backed up
at the centre, wherever necessary.
We will underpin this strategy with more and better human
rights projects. On 18 January, we announced that the 201617 Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy
(MCF formerly known as the Human Rights and Democracy
Programme) would double to 10.6 million its highest
ever level. The fund will place more emphasis on institutionbuilding, and target the underlying causes of human rights
violations. The new name Magna Carta deliberately
evokes the importance of the rule of law and good governance
in achieving sustainable development, security and respect for
human rights.
We have encouraged our network to exercise judgement. That
means using quiet diplomacy where that is most likely to yield
results and public pressure where appropriate. That public
diplomacy will be state of the art, using all the modern and
traditional techniques at our disposal from Ministerial visits to
social media.
Sometimes the impact of our private diplomacy is very clear.
More often, though, we cannot trumpet our achievements if
we are to retain the influence which made them possible. But
I am in no doubt that, across the world in 2015, as a result of
our private diplomacy, governments have changed tack, NGOs
have been able to resume their operations, prisoners have had
cruel punishments commuted, and journalists and bloggers
have been released.
In this years Annual Report we have for the first time
employed a single category around which to focus our incountry work, designating 30 Human Rights Priority Countries
(HPRCs). Our human rights advocacy and projects will by no
means be confined to these countries, but the list will help
prioritise our efforts for the rest of this Parliament (excepting
major changes in circumstance).
Working in and with these countries for the duration of this
Parliament will enhance our impact and, to a degree, make
it easier to measure. Progress on human rights is usually
incremental. Improvements come as a result of multiple factors,
not all of which are in our gift. But our persistent approach can
deliver tangible results and lasting change.
This report contains many examples. Here are just a few.
In Sri Lanka, sustained engagement spanning the Prime
Ministers intervention at CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting) in 2013, an adversarial resolution at the

UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in 2014, and a consensual
HRC resolution in 2015, has helped this important partner put
civil war behind it and embrace a brighter future. This shows
what the rules-based international system can achieve when
patient protagonists like the UK show firmness in pursuit of
human rights objectives.
We have made inroads against the persecution faced by LGB&T
people in many parts of the world. At last years CHOGM, the
Prime Minister urged his colleagues to leave no one behind.
We encouraged civil society organisations in the Caribbean and
Eastern Europe to make their voices heard. While, in Uganda,
quiet diplomacy helped persuade the government to reflect
civil societys recommendations in their new NGO legislation.
Our Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) has seen
progress in a number of countries; for example, Bosnia.
In November I visited Iraq to witness after two years of
facilitation by the UK the launch of the International Protocol
on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence
in Conflict. In Somalia we provided medical and psycho-social
services to over 1,500 victims of sexual and gender-based
violence.
Following the detention of five female womens rights
activists in China, we were among a group of states publicly
to argue that they had been exercising their right to freedom
of expression; they were released the following month. Our
constructive advocacy of better ways to prevent torture
in Morocco backed by programme spending hastened
Moroccos accession to the all-important Optional Protocol to
the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT).
Our sustained engagement with Colombia, in private and
in public, has reinforced the peace process and raised
performance in other key areas, such as business and human
rights. We have shared democracy expertise with Tunisia;
worked with the Kenyan government to monitor hate speech
in the lead up to elections, and, in the southern Philippines,
helped armed groups embrace democracy and form political
parties.
Such examples inspire me to hope that 2016 can bring more
progress on human rights. We have built a strong case for
UK re-election to the HRC in October. I look forward to
working with committed individuals in civil society, colleagues
in government and Parliament, and human rights defenders
everywhere, to discharge our manifesto commitment to uphold
universl human rights.
The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE

Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office and Prime Ministers Special Representative on
Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
CHAPTER I: Democratic Values and the Rule of Law
Introduction
Democracy is a core British value. We believe it to be the
form of government most conducive to long-term peace and
sustainable development. In the 2015 Strategic Defence and
Security Review, the government recognised that security and
prosperity suffer when violations and abuses of human rights
go unchecked; and pledged to work with our partners to
strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights, and
hold to account those responsible for the worst violations and
abuses.
Democracy is about much more than elections. By
democracy we mean the existence of properly functioning
institutions and the rule of law to protect people from all
forms of discrimination and uphold their human rights
people having a say in the decisions that affect them through
accountable, participative, representative and transparent
political systems. Progress in this area can sometimes come
quickly, even unexpectedly; but it is more often the work of
decades.
Democracy
Magna Carta Anniversary
In 2015, the UK used the 800th anniversary of the sealing of
the Magna Carta to share Britains experience of democracy
with others. On 15 June, the Foreign Secretary said, Magna
Carta is a symbol of the UKs deeply rooted democracy: a story
of evolution rather than revolution; of patient embedding of
the principles and institutions that support successful societies.
We are proud to be sharing our experience with others making
their own journey to democracy.
More than 50 British Embassies and High Commissions marked
the anniversary by hosting a LiberTea or other bespoke
event. In the last quarter of 2015, seven territories welcomed
the Magna Carta 800 Global Tour. Hereford Cathedrals 1217

Magna Carta and the only surviving 1215 Kings Writ from
Runnymede were taken to: New York during the 70th session
of the UN General Assembly (UNGA); Luxembourg for the
opening of the European Court of Justice; Beijing, Guangzhou,
and Shanghai to coincide with the State Visit of President Xi
to London; Hong Kong; Singapore for the 50th anniversary
of independence; Malta for the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting (CHOGM); and Lisbon, where they
were displayed alongside the 1386 Treaty of Windsor. Around
25,000 visitors viewed the Magna Carta during its 39 days of
public exhibition, and the associated debate about democratic
values reached millions. FCO Minister for Human Rights,
Baroness Anelay, also presented the first authentic replica to
the UN in Geneva in March 2015.
Magna Carta Partnerships
On International Day of Democracy (15 September) at Grays
Inn in the heart of the UKs legal community Baroness
Anelay announced a pilot fund of 100,000 to share the
UKs legal and parliamentary expertise. The Magna Carta
Partnerships initiative built on the 800th anniversary, and
provided small, flexible grants to help guide parliamentarians,
judges and lawyers overseas along their own path to
democracy and the rule of law. The FCO worked closely with
the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (see below) and
the Department for International Developments (DFID) Rule
of Law Expertise Programme (ROLE UK) to match demand for
assistance with UK expertise.
The initiative generated interest from a wide range of UK legal
and parliamentary experts and demonstrated the global reach
of their work. By the end of 2015, we had committed funding
to 14 projects in 13 countries in Africa, the Americas, Central
Asia, South Asia, and South East Asia. The first activity took
place in Thailand on 5-8 November 2015. Andrew Hood,
the Prime Ministers Legal Adviser, shared UK experience on
The Magna Carta Partnerships fund...

has financed 14 projects...
in 13 countries...
worth over 100k.
the rule of law and Magna Carta at the King Prajadhipoks

Institutes 17th Congress.
In 2016 highlights will include: the Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association UK working with the Parliament of
Sri Lanka to develop a strong select committee system; the
Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law working with Kenyan
officials on the implementation of the Fair Administrative
Action Act; and the UK Sierra Leone Pro Bono Network sharing
experience on the administration of the High Court of Sierra
Leone. Because of the interest the fund generated, FCO has
decided to scale up the focus on democracy and the rule of
law under the new Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and
Democracy (MCF).
Other Democracy-strengthening Activities
In 2015, our diplomatic missions continued to support
democracy strengthening in practical ways, tailoring their
approach to the context. The Human Rights and Democracy
Programme Fund (HRDP) contributed 500,000 towards seven
democracy-building projects in Africa, Eastern Europe, the
Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia. These helped
strengthen national Parliaments, increase youth participation
in politics, and combat attempts by authorities to restrict civil
society space.
Elections
The UK continued to support credible and inclusive elections
by providing financial and technical assistance to international
organisations that carry out election observation missions,
in particular the EU, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Commonwealth. The
FCO worked with these multilateral organisations to prioritise
countries that would most benefit from an observation
mission. Election observation can help build voter confidence,
deter violence, and support the credibility of the electoral
process. It can reduce the risk of fraud and violence in the
transfer of power, and help embed and strengthen democratic
principles, even in countries in a state of democratic transition
or crisis.
There were notable election success stories in 2015. In Burma,
the elections took place in a calm and orderly manner. This was
an important step towards democracy and a victory for the
people of Burma. In Sri Lanka, a country which only recently
emerged from civil war, parliamentary elections werereported
as being the most peaceful in living memory, giving the
country a strong democratic platform on which to build. In
Nigeria, the historic presidential election saw the first fully
democratic transfer of power, as the All Progressives Congress
defeated the Peoples Democratic Party.
The UK assisted these processes bilaterally and through
our support of EU election observation missions. In Burma,
UK support to the elections included funding specialist
technical advice to the Union Election Commission (through
the International Foundation for Electoral Systems), training
for 5,000 domestic observers, and supporting/providing
international best practice on security planning. In Sri Lanka,
the UK provided support to domestic election monitors and
to voter education programmes. Through DFIDs Deepening

Democracy in Nigeria programme, the UK provided technical
support to the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), supported voter education and independent electoral
observation, promoted mitigation of violence, and provided
support to civil society in holding the INEC and government to
account.
In 2016, election observation missions will continue to be
a high priority for the UK, and the MCF will be available to
support democracy strengthening work.
Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)[1]

The UK shares its democratic experience and expertise through
the WFD, a non-departmental public body funded largely
by FCO and DFID. WFD helps build legitimate and inclusive
political institutions capable of strengthening human rights.
It works with political parties and Parliaments to strengthen
democratic practices in developing countries, directly tackling
human rights issues, particularly gender equality. In 2015,
WFD organised the first ever Womens Parliament in Uganda,
promoting the implementation of legislation combating
domestic violence, female genital mutilation (FGM), and
property discrimination. WFD supported the Coalition of
Middle East and North African female Members of Parliament
in their campaign to reform penal laws which allow rapists
to escape prosecution by marrying their victim. In Bosnia,
WFD worked with political parties and the media to increase
the number of women participating in politics ahead of local
elections in 2016.
In Georgia, its Parliaments Human Rights Committee spent
2015 scrutinising the Georgian governments progress
towards its Association Agreement with the EU. WFD helped
bring Georgian parliamentarians together with civil society
organisations. WFD also improved the link between civil society
organisations and Parliament in the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC). A group of female Members of the DRC
Parliament successfully worked with campaigners to introduce
a proposed change in legislation to establish a quota for
womens representation amongst the chiefs selected to serve
within the Provincial Assembly of Province Orientale.
WFD believes human rights are best protected within a
democratic culture. Its work aims to foster this by improving
Parliaments capacity to scrutinise the actions of their
governments effectively. In 2015, WFD helped new MPs
by providing induction training in Kyrgyzstan; encouraged
dialogue on anti-corruption in Tunisia and Iraq; and supported
improved parliamentary financial oversight in Morocco, Ukraine
and Serbia.
WFDs 2015-18 funding cycle means it has a range of active
programmes set to strengthen human rights around the
world in the coming 12 months. By mid-2016, parliamentarystrengthening programmes will be underway in over 20
countries. With the help of UK political parties, they will have
established programmes of activity in over 40 countries in
Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan
Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
[1] For more information on WFD, visit www.wfd.org.
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of expression continues to be under threat from
governments and groups which regard freely expressed
opinion as a threat to authority.For the UK, freedom of
expression is not only important in its own right, but also as
a vital enabler of other human rights. The ability of the media
to operate without censorship, intimidation, or unnecessary
restriction is a key indicator of the state of a countrys
democracy, and of the ability of citizens to participate in the
development of theirsociety.
2015 saw the murder in Paris of nine journalists from the
satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, and a related attack in
Copenhagen. The reaction demonstrated deep political and
public attachment to the principle that the media should be
able to operate freely; and that a person should be free to
express their views, whether or not others agree with those
views.
These attacks were part of a broader assault on media freedom
throughout the course of 2015. Journalists continued to be
at risk in conflict zones around the world.NGO Reporters
Without Borders estimate that 110 journalists, citizen journalists
and media assistants were killed in the course of, or as a result
of, their work. Precise figures are hard to determine. But as
the FCO Minister for Conflict Issues, James Duddridge, told the
House of Commons in a debate on the deaths of journalists in
conflict zones, one death is too many. Too often the threat
to journalists is exacerbated by a culture of impunity for those
who commit these crimes. It is estimated that in90% of cases
the murder of journalists goes unpunished.
One significant step forward was the unanimous adoption
by the UN Security Council (UNSC) of Resolution 2222. This
resolution condemned violations and abuses against journalists,
condemned the impunity often seen in such cases, and

affirmed the importance of a free, independent and impartial
media as one of the essential foundations of a democratic
society. In the accompanying debate, the UKs Permanent
Representativeto the UN highlighted the important role played
by all journalists, including citizen journalists and bloggers, and
called for an end to impunity.
Whilst journalists face heightened risks in conflict zones,
Reporters Without Borders estimated that two-thirdsof
the murders of journalists during 2015 were committed in
countries considered to be at peace. In Bangladesh bloggers
were killedfor expressingatheist views.
With the development of social media, the distinction between
professional journalists and so-called citizen journalists is
blurred; but the same principle applies that all should be
able to express their opinion without fear of intimidation or
death. The UKcontinued to work with international partners
to address the issue of safety of journalists, and would like to
pay particular tribute to the role of the OSCEs Representative
on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, who has been
a tireless advocate of press freedom across the region. She
has set a high standard which all subsequent holders of this
important position should aim to match.
The UK is a strong supporter of the principle that the rights
which exist offline should also be protected online. We are
founder members of the Freedom Online Coalition, a grouping
of countries which promotes internet freedom and highlights
government restrictions on internet access and related
limitations to freedom of expression. The UK is an active
member of the coalition and participated in its Ministerial
Conference in Mongolia in May 2015.The number of members
rose to 29 during 2015, with Australia, New Zealand, Norway

and Spain joining the coalition.
In 2015, the UK continued to support projects to promote
and protect freedom of expression for all. The HRDP
contributed over 500,000 towards nine such projects in
Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South America, and
South Asia. These included mapping threats to journalists and
journalism,informing bloggers and online activists about rights
and protection issues, and facilitating effective civil society
engagement in international internet-related policy debates.
Restriction of Civil Society Space

2015 saw further challenges around the world to the ability
of civil society to play an active role in decision making
and democratic processes, something the UK regards as
fundamental for building successful societies and economies.
Restrictions included laws to regulate the media, including
the internet, and under the guise of protecting national
security. Whilst states are obliged to protect their citizens,
the use of broad legislation (particularly on the financing
of the not-for-profit sector) can have the opposite effect.
Restrictions can prevent civil society organisations contributing
to better policy making, and can also damage health and
education programmes. One particular focus has been on
Recommendation 8 of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF),
which refers to the abuse of non-profit organisations. The
laudable aims of FATF are to combat money laundering
and terrorist financing. We support that objective. But its
regulations can be abused, or misapplied, to restrict the
ability of legitimate civil society organisations to function. A
consultation exercise was held in 2015 by the FATF Secretariat
to look at ways to address this.
In May 2015, Russia passed the Law on Undesirable
Organisations giving authorities the power to close down civil
society organisations without a court order if they consider
them a threat to national security. This adds to the foreign
agent regulations on NGOs receiving overseas funding, which
have been in place since 2012, making it hard for civil society
to operate effectively. The first civil society organisation to be
banned under the 2015 regulation was the US-based National
Endowment for Democracy.
Russias approach has been copied in several other countries in
the region. In 2015, regulations restricting NGO financing as
well as restrictive media laws were passed in Azerbaijan and
Serbia. New restrictive regulatory measures were also initiated
in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.There weresimilar approaches
elsewhere including Cambodia, Pakistan, Tanzania and Sierra
Leone.
During 2015 the UK was an active participant in the
Community of Democracies, a group of countries committed to
supporting the transition to democracy and the strengthening
of democratic values and institutions worldwide, and
participated in itsMinisterial Conference in San Salvador. The
UK intends to become a member of the Governing Council of
the Community of Democracies during 2016.
Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)

The values which the UK stands for democracy, tolerance,
public participation, the fight against discrimination and
respect for the rule of law are all underpinned by the work of
HRDs.
In December 2015, the UK hosted a visit by Michel Forst, the
UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs. This was an opportunity for
in-depthdiscussion of the threats faced byHRDs, including
pressure on civil society. The UK places great importance
on work at the EU level on HRDs, including through the
EU Guidelines. In December 2015, the EU launched its first
comprehensive mechanism for HRDs providing short, medium
and long-term support including legal and medical support,
training and advocacy. The mechanism will be backed by
a budget of 15m up to 2018, and will be managed by a
consortium of 12 NGOs.
In the UK we continued to support the work of HRDs through
the HRDP.Over the last four years, the FCO has provided
financial contributions toLifeline, an NGO which provides
emergency support to HRDs.
Non-discrimination
Womens Rights
2015 was an important year for womens rights.Highlights
included the 20th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action (an internationally agreed plan for realising
full and equal rights for women) which the international
community further endorsed at the UN Commission on the
Status of Women in March. It was also the 15th Anniversary of
UNSC Resolution 1325, which underlined that womens rights
had to be at the heart of any successful search for peace and
security.
The UK worked hard to securea strong goal on gender
(SDG5) which was included in the Sustainable Development
Goals unanimously agreed by the UNGA in September. SDG5
includes targets on ending all forms of violence against women
and girls, FGM, and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM).
Including these targets was a top priority for the UK.The
UK continues to work towards international agreement on a
detailedset of indicators for the Violence Against Women and
Girls target.
Despite the progress that was achieved at the UN level and
elsewhere, significant challenges remain.These include:
ending the many different forms of violence against women;
securing sexual health and reproductive rights; achieving
gender equality in the workplace and in political and public
life; and womens economic empowerment and equal access
to education. Regrettably, despite the fact that women make
up around 50% of any countrys population, and despite
demonstrable benefits for countries prosperity of womens
economic empowerment, too many countries at national,
provincial and community level continue to restrict the
human rights of women and girls, including to adequate health
care and to justice.
This is particularly apparent in Syria where women are at risk

of sexual violence, which is predominantly perpetrated by
government forces and some armed groups. As a result, Syrian
women are unable to access healthcare and are left without
basic legal protections. We also remain concerned about
the inability of women to participate fully in society in Saudi
Arabia, where the guardianship system remains in place and
segregation presents many challenges, including in political life.
in Mindanao in the Philippines, to engaging male leaders and

community members as active promoters of womens rights in
Afghanistan.
The FCO supported a series of events from 26-30 October in
the UK and across the diplomatic network under the banner
of a Week of Women. The week was designed to promote
womens political and economic leadership. It was supported
by Baroness Anelay and womens rights champion, Pinky Lilani
(Women of the Future).
Over 60 international delegates attended Week of
Women events, nominated by our Embassies and High
Commissions.Highlights included the Women of the Future
Summit and Awards ceremony hosted by the Department
of EducationMinister for Women and Equalities, Nicky
Morgan.Many senior female FCO colleagues attended,
including High Commissioner to Malaysia and Ambassador to
Afghanistan. The FCO ran a strategy session for international
delegates, hosted by Maria Miller (Chair of the UKs
Parliamentary Select Committee onWomen and Equalities).
The strategy session discussed barriers faced by women to
positions of leadership and how the FCO and others could best
support their ambitions.
A workshop for women victims of violence run by Sisters For Change

in Bangalore, as part of a Human Rights & Democracy Programme
project.
Violence against women and girls occurs in peaceful societies

as well as those experiencing conflict. It is often a result of
discriminatory attitudes and harmful social norms. Violence
against women and girls is unacceptable and should not be
tolerated in any circumstance. Alongside ensuring the equal
representation of women in political and public life and
challenging discriminatory laws and practices, tackling violence
against women and girls was a priority for our work in 2015.
FCO marked International Womens Day in March with Posts
in all regions staging over 40 innovative events designed
to further womens political and economic empowerment.
Examples included: the launch of funding for a civil society
alliance to push for a gender perspective in Burmas peace
process;an event to promote women in business with the
Minister of Trade and Industry for Kosovo;a speed mentoring
event in Hungary for disadvantaged young women with
successful female role models;and a lecture at a university
in Kyrgyzstan by the Deputy Head of Mission on womens
political empowerment in the UK.
Such initiatives helped create new networks of influential,
gender-sensitive policy makers, including in China, where 100
women from political and economic life were brought together
to discuss ways to achieve greater empowerment of women.
Social media messages reached thousands of people in each
country where we staged events, demonstrating the UKs
commitment to promoting and protecting womens rights,
whilst showcasing that change is possible and within our reach.
In 2015 the HRDP spent over 550,000 on seven projects
aimed at promoting womens rights. Projects ranged from
promoting womens political participation in the peace process
We are aware of the particular concerns around violence

against women and girls in India and are committed to
working with the Indian government on this important
issue. We welcome the steps the Indian government has
already taken, such as fast-track courts and public safety
measures. A group of Indian women leaders visited the UK
in November to learn about the UKs approach to tackling
violence against women and girls. This visit took place during
the week that marked International Day for the Elimination
of Discrimination Against Women. The group metBaroness
Anelay, parliamentarians, representatives of the private sector,
UK civil society and UK officials. The objective was to help
shape public policy in India so that the criminal justice system
and society will bemore responsive to women victims of
violence, specifically those from vulnerable, marginalised and
minority groups.
FCO worked closely with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and
DFID to coordinate cross-Whitehall efforts on Women, Peace
and Security, and made eight strong commitments[2] at the
15th anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1325 in October. The
record number of speakers at this UNSC event was testament
to the worldwide support for the agenda. The UKs Strategic
Defence and Security Review in November confirmed that
Women, Peace and Security (WPS) was a high priority for the
government, stating that the full attainment of political, social
and economic rights for women is central to greater peace and
security overseas:
It is a UK priority and we will ensure that womens rights are
fully taken into account in our overseas counter-extremism
work, in humanitarian emergencies, in our early warning
and conflict analysis and in our new military doctrine. We
will continue to promote the active participation of women
in peace-building discussions, including through work with
[2]https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-firmly-believes-thatthe-15th-anniversary-must-represent-the-start-of-a-new-era-on-women-peaceand-security
10
governments such as in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is already a

key theme running through our development work. We will
build on it over the next five years, including through investing
in research to understand what needs to be done in conflictaffected states to ensure lasting equality for women and girls.
We continued to implement our National Action Plan (NAP)
on WPS[3]. This NAP is the joint responsibility of FCO, DFID,
and MOD. Afghanistan, Burma, DRC, Libya, Somalia and Syria
are its focus countries. An external evaluation of the NAP[4]
was published in Novemberand a report to Parliament [5] in
December. We continued to encourage other countries to
develop and implementtheir own NAPs and to be transparent
about how they are fulfilling their commitments.
The UK is a world leader in the fight to stamp out forced
marriage. It has been illegal in UK since 2014. The joint
FCO-Home OfficeForced Marriage Unit (FMU) leads efforts
to combat it both at home and abroad. Overseas, the FMU
provides consular assistance to victims prior to or after
marriage to secure their return to the UK.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and

Transgender (LGB&T) Rights
The authorities of many countriesactively persecute
LGB&T people. 78 countries criminalise homosexuality, the
majority of which are in the Commonwealth. Even in many
countries where homosexuality is legal, people still face
discrimination because of their sexual orientation. Faced
with this unacceptable discrimination, which often has violent
consequences, the FCO places great importance on working
to challenge violence and discrimination against LGB&T people
wherever it exists.
We directly challenge governments that criminalise
homosexuality at the highest political levels. For example, after
lobbying by the British High Commission, Mozambique revised
its Penal Code. This led to so-called acts against nature
widely interpreted as homosexuality being decriminalised.
In Belize, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria and Uganda, UK diplomats
have raisedconcerns about legislation which could lead to
persecution and discrimination against LGB&T people.
FCO offers support to civil society activists to ensure that
their voices and needs are heard. In 2015, FCO supported
projects to improve the prosecution of homophobic hate
crimes in Montenegro and to develop an online platform on
whichLGB&T people can access various services, including
health and legal advice, throughout the Caribbean region.
FCO also worked to create space at the international level
for LGB&T rights to be discussed, debated and we hope
ultimately accepted as a clear reaffirmation of the universality
of human rights. In 2015, the UK raised LGB&T issues at the
CHOGM in Malta where Baroness Verma chaired a meeting at
[3]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-national-action-planon-women-peace-and-security
[4]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/external-evaluation-of-thenational-action-plan-on-women-peace-and-security-baseline-report
[5]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-national-action-planon-women-peace-and-security-2014-17-report-to-parliament-december-2015
the Peoples Forum. UK also supported a further cross-regional

statement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.
Another important part of the governments approach lies in
communications work reaching out to communities in order
to change perceptions whilst demonstrating solidarity with civil
society activists.An example of this is support for the UNs Free
& Equal campaign which seeks to break down stereotypes.
In 2015, UK Posts around the world marked Pride in a number
of creative and visible ways. Examples included the British
Embassy in Bucharest using the Love Is GREAT banner during
Bucharest Pride in May and posting photos on their Facebook
page, and the British Embassy in Vienna launching a Love
is GREAT campaign during Eurovision week, promoting
the UK as a LGB&T-friendly destination for tourists.The UKs
Ambassador to the Dominican Republic gave the introductory
speech at the EUs LGBT Film Festival, stressing that tolerance,
respect for LGB&T people, and non-discrimination are UK and
EU values.
A striking example of the impact of UK soft power was the
fiveFilms4freedom social media campaign. The British
Council, British Film Institute and British Embassies and High
Commissions in over 70 countries hosted films online which
promoted awareness and tolerance of LGB&T rights. Over
5 million people in 135 countries saw the films and the
campaign achieved a vast social media footprint of 75 million
posts on Twitter, Facebook and, in China, on Sina Weibo.
The FCO was delighted to host the PinkNews annual awards
ceremony in October. This recognised the outstanding work
of individuals in promoting and protecting the rights of LGB&T
people, and gave us the opportunity to showcase exceptional
work across the FCO network.
The UK government continues to offer a consular same-sex
marriage service in 26 countries and a conversion service in
11 countries. Since the introduction of these services, we
have conducted approximately 240 same-sex marriages and
140 conversions. By offering these services we have drawn
attention to the lack of local legislation for same-sex marriages
and prompted wider debate on LGB&T issues.This helps
to educate public opinion in countries where the national
authorities, and many in wider society, are as yet unprepared
to countenance same-sex marriage.
Child Rights
Violence, discrimination, poverty and marginalisation can
impact children disproportionately, affect their health,
education and overall development, and put them at an
increased risk of exploitation, abuse and trafficking. With this
in mind, the protection and promotion of childrens human
rights, including those of children who are victims of armed
conflict and children at risk of abduction and exploitation,
form an important part of the FCOs wider international human
rights agenda. During 2015, we continued to work actively to
ensure that child rights are protected and that child rights are
taken into account in our work on a range of issues, including
forced marriage and preventing sexual violence against children
in conflict.
Much of our work on child rights is focused at the UN. At the

March UN HRC, the UK co-sponsored the annual resolution on
the rights of the child, which had as its theme towards better
investment in the rights of the child. This called upon all states
to recognise that investing in children is critical to achieving
inclusive, equitable and sustainable human development
for present and future generations, and delivers benefits to
society and the economy at large. In July the HRC passed a
UK-supported resolution on Unaccompanied Migrant Children
and Human Rights, which expressed serious concern about
vulnerability of unaccompanied child migrants.
In 2015 the UK continued to build on the success of the Girl
Summit held in London in July 2014, through work nationally
and internationally to support the international movement
to eliminate FGM and CEFM. The UK remains remain highly
committed to working with partners towards the vision of
ending both practices within a generation, and there are UKled programmes in over 25 high-prevalence countries.
The FCO remained at the forefront of efforts to address the
issue across the international system, including at the HRC,
where we are members of the core group for the Child
Marriage resolution. In July, the HRC unanimously adopted
a resolution, co-sponsored by the UK, which sought to
strengthen efforts to prevent and eliminate CEFM, a practice
that affects 15 million girls every year. This built on the first
ever UN Resolution on Eliminating Child, Early and Forced
Marriage in 2014, and recognises child marriage as a violation
of human rights that prevents individuals from living their lives
free from all forms of violence and that has wide-ranging and
adverse consequences on the enjoyment of human rights, such
as the right to education, the right to the highest attainable
standard of health, including sexual and reproductive health.
Within the stand-alone gender goal (SDG5) the UK argued for
a target on eliminating harmful practices that impact on girls,
including FGM and CEFM. We were closely involved in the
process to determine the indicators for global prevalence rates.
Our Embassies and High Commissions play an important role
in our work to protect and promote the rights of children. In
March the British Embassy in Bucharest became one of the
latest missions to support the National Crime Agency (NCA)s
International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) which aims
to combat the exploitation and abuse of children overseas
by travelling British child sex offenders. Our responsibility to
protect children from abuse does not stop at the UKs borders,
and the ICPC is a valuable tool in helping to prevent abuse
overseas. An ICPC can only be issued following checks made
against police information and intelligence databases. It aims
to provide reassurance that staff employed in schools and
voluntary organisations do not have a UK criminal record that
makes them unsuitable to work with children. The launch of
the ICPC in Romania was the culmination of months of close
co-operation between the NCA and Romanian partners.
Technology is a transformative force for growth, and of benefit
to children in many ways. But technology is also enabling new
forms of crime against children that need to be tackled with
urgency. That is why, on 1617 November, the UK brought
together the technology industry, civil society and governments
under the WePROTECT initiative. WePROTECT will now merge
with the Global Alliance Against Child Sexual Abuse Online to

create, for the first time, a single coordinated global initiative to
transform how these crimes are dealt with.
Child safeguarding in the UK Overseas Territories (OTs)
The UK government is committed to working in partnership
with territory governments to support their efforts to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the UK OTs[6].
We report here on the child safeguarding measures taken
because of the UKs special constitutional relationship and
responsibilities for the OTs[7].
UK action
In February 2015, the FCO established the Child Safeguarding
Unit (CSU) to help strengthen safeguarding capabilities and
systems in partnership with the territories. To strengthen
engagement, CSU ran targeted safeguarding sessions at
conferences for OT representatives, including OT Heads of
Public Services, Police Commissioners and human resources
directors. The unit issued a protocol for Governors and
their officers about the reporting of child abuse cases. In
September, the UK Solicitor General chaired the annual OTs
Attorneys General Conference where action was agreed on
child safeguarding, including exploring means for closer cooperation on information and best practice sharing.
At the annual Joint Ministerial Council (JMC)[8] in December,
FCO Minister for the OTs, James Duddridge, chaired a child
safeguarding session, at which the UK and OT governments
reaffirmed their commitment to leading a national response.
This will ensure a child-centred and coordinated approach to
safeguarding based on multi-agency working, information
sharing and robust risk assessment. The UK government
published the Wass Inquiry Report [9] into allegations
surrounding child safeguarding issues on St Helena and
Ascension Island. The UK government and St Helena
governments accepted the recommendations in full. A senior
UK official, who will be based on St Helena, was appointed
to oversee the implementation of recommendations from
the Wass Report. DFID continues to support OTs through the
Safeguarding Children in the Overseas Territories programme
(SCOTT II). Over the past year, financial support to Montserrat
and St Helena has enabled the OTs to significantly scale up
their interventions on the prevention of and response to abuse.
[6] Anguilla; Bermuda, Cayman Islands; the Falkland Islands; Gibraltar;

Montserrat; Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands (commonly known as
the Pitcairn Islands); St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; the Turks and
Caicos Islands; and the Virgin Islands (commonly known as the British Virgin
Islands).
[7] Except for the British Antarctic Territory; British Indian Ocean Territory,
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands or the Sovereign Base Areas
of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus, as we are focusing our efforts to promote
human rights in those territories which have permanent resident populations.
[8]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-territories-jointministerial-council-2015-communique
[9]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-wass-inquiry-reportinto-allegations-surrounding-child-safeguarding-issues-on-st-helena-andascension-island-redacted-version
12
OT government action
>> Child safeguarding reviews supported by DFID were
conducted in Montserrat, Pitcairn and Tristan da Cunha. The
Falkland Islands government supported by the FCO held a
successful follow-up to their 2013 child safeguarding review.
>> The Cayman Islands commissioned a UK Childrens Services
professional to look at raising standards in safeguarding.
>> The Ascension Island government appointed
its first full-time social worker and introduced
criminal record checks for anyone wishing to
volunteer or work unsupervised with children.
>> Anguilla passed its flagship domestic violence legislation[10]
and the Royal Anguilla police force undertook family liaison
training, supported by FCO. An interagency child protection
protocol (CPP)[11] was introduced. Concurrently a CPP
for the local secondary school was adopted. The British
Virgin Islands, Montserrat [12] and St Helena successfully
created public awareness campaigns around child
safeguarding and protection by drawing on expertise from
the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and NGOs.
The Turks and Caicos Islands passed four Organisations
of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) model family law
bills in children care, protection and adoption[13];
>> The government of Bermuda partnered with a
local NGO (SCARS[14]) to deliver child sexual abuse
training across the island. This was attended by
over 350 police and police reserve officers.
>> The Falklands Islands government presented a draft
memorandum of understanding and child safeguarding
roadmap at the JMC. The territory-led initiative is intended
to facilitate greater cross-OT co-operation on a range
of child safeguarding and protection matters, as well
as to encourage the sharing of information and best
practice. Finally, the majority of the OTs also participated
in a child sexual exploitation online investigation training
workshop as part of Operation Guardian in Miami.
Looking ahead to 2016

The UK and OT governments are committed to working
together to delivering a zero tolerance approach to child
abuse in all of its forms and, as stated in the JMC 2015
communiqu[15], to doing all we can to prevent harm, support
victims, and bring offenders to justice.
The UK government will focus on ways it can further support
OT governments to develop front-line capability and fulfil our
wider international human rights obligations. These include
[10]http://www.gov.ai/documents/msd/Domestic_Violence_Bill_2014.pdf
[11]http://www.gov.ai/documents/MSD%20-%20Interagency%20Child%20
Protection%20Protocol%202015.pdf
[12]http://www.gov.ms/2012/06/04/ministry-of-health-and-social-serviceslaunches-child-protection-booklet/
upcoming reviews of UK government compliance under CRC[16],

CESCR [17] and CERD[18].
In addition, the UK government will host the first ever child
safeguarding conference for OT Directors of Childrens Services
as part of wider efforts to help improve co-ordination, enhance
capacity, and exploit existing frameworks for best practice
within and across the OTs. This will be supported by a separate
child safeguarding multi-agency investigation workshop in
Miami. We will also work in partnership with the government
of St Helena to implement the Wass recommendations. A
progress report will be presented to Parliament by June. We
will be considering which examples of good practice, applied
in St Helena in implementing the recommendations, could be
shared across the OTs. The OTs will continue to strengthen
their safeguarding systems, and Montserrat will create a unit
dedicated to child protection, establish a child safeguarding
board and work to pass the Child Protection Act. Police officers
from Montserrat, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands will
receive training in interview techniques and procedures when
investigating child abuse cases.
Business and Human Rights

Business operations can have an impact on human rights,
both positive and negative. Whilst the obligation to protect
human rights rests with national governments, businesses
have a responsibility to respect human rights throughout their
operations. This is most clearly set out in the UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) which the
government strongly supports.
The UK was the first country to produce a National Action Plan
(NAP) on Business and Human Rights (in September 2013) in
order to implement the UNGPs. In line with the structure of
the UNGPs, this covered actions at state level, expectations of
business behaviour, and the provision of remedy and access
to justice for those who believe they are victims of corporate
human rights abuses.
The NAP includes a number of commitments, including the
provision of sector-specific guidance, promotion of reporting,
and transparency. During 2015 we began the process of
reviewing and updating the NAP. We held a number of
consultation events involving a wide range of stakeholders
from business, civil society and academia. Following this
consultation exercise, an updated version of the NAP will be
published in 2016, capturing the range of business and human
rights related activities and initiatives which take place across
government and recording some of the actions we have taken
since September 2013.
One of the most significant developments in business and
human rights in 2015 was the entry into force of the Modern
Slavery Act on 31 July. As well as consolidating and simplifying
existing legislation, it includes a requirement for companies
covered by the Act to set out for each financial year a
[13] Children Care and Protection; Family Law (Guardianship, Custody, and
Access to Children); Adoption; and Domestic Violence.
[16] The International Convention on the Rights of the Child.
[14]http://www.scarsbermuda.com/
[17] International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
[15]https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_
data/file/488498/Overseas_Territories_Joint_Ministerial_Council_2015_
Communique.pdf
[18] International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial

Discrimination.
statement on the steps they have taken to ensure that their

business and supply chains do not include slavery or human
trafficking.
Alongside the UK Bribery Act, the Health and Safety at Work
Act and other regulatory and policy measures, the Modern
Slavery Act ensures that the UK stays at the forefront of action
to support business and human rights, and provides protection
for workers and reassurance for customers and investors. This
is consistent with the UKs view that respect for human rights
is good for business and promotes economic prosperity. The
UK also strongly supports the provision of remedy, including
through the UKs National Contact Point.
At the international level, the importance of the UNGPs was
given a considerable boost by the G7 Leaders Declaration in
June 2015. Leaders said they strongly support the UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights and welcome the
efforts to set up substantive National Action Plans. They also
called for efforts to enhance supply chain transparency and
accountability.
The UK wants to see similar action carried out across the
world. A comprehensive and consistent approach to the
implementation of the UNGPs will provide a clearer and simpler
global business environment for UK companies, as well as
ensuring that individuals are protected or offered adequate
remedy across the world (a level playing field). So far very few
countries have published NAPs, though many are in production
(including in most EU Member States and the United States).
The UK has strongly supported these processes. In particular,
FCO has supported Colombia in the production of its National
Action Plan, the first of its type to be published outside Europe.
FCO has also supported similar work in Malaysia through the
Malaysian National Human Rights Institute. British Embassies
have hosted events to promote the UNGPs in a number of
capitals, including Washington, Bogot and Stockholm. FCO
also took part in an event hosted by Brazils main business
association for the launch of their national process to develop
an action plan. In Bangladesh we have funded projects to
increase awareness of the UNGPs among trade unions in the
garment and leather sectors.
Since 2011, the FCO has invested around 1.8 million through
the HRDP to support business and human rights work, and
has supported the UN Working Group on business and human
rights in its work to promote implementation of the UNGPs.
In taking forward our work on business and human rights,
FCO will concentrate on encouraging greater international
implementation of the UNGPs, and work to provide better
governance to create a positive business environment for UK
companies operating overseas. We will also prioritise work
to support HRDs to enable them to have access to relevant
information and, where necessary, to appropriate remedy or
grievance mechanisms.
Anti-corruption and transparency
Corruption harms societies, undermines the rule of law and
economic development and threatens democracy. It creates
barriers to doing business and deters investment. UN SDG16
calls on states to substantially reduce corruption in all its

forms.
The UK has been at the forefront of tackling corruption, both
through international engagement and targeted funding
of specific initiatives. The UKs Bribery Act (2010) and the
Anti-Corruption Action Plan, published in 2014, are practical
demonstrations of the UKs commitment to tackling corruption
and promoting transparency. This is good for business and
economic development; the World Bank estimates that bribery
can add up to 10% to business costs globally, and that over
US$1 trillion is paid in bribes each year.
In 2016 this commitment will be underlined when the UK
hosts the London Anti-Corruption Summit. This will address
both the causes of corruption, and methods to promote
transparency and to help those most affected. It will build on
the growing international consensus around tackling corruption
and promoting transparency, for the public and private sectors
and international organisations.
At the 2015 G20 Summit, Heads of Government committed
to implementing the 2015-16 G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan
and endorsed the G20 High Level Principles on Integrity and
Transparency in the Private Sector, helping businesses across
the G20 comply with global standards on ethics and anticorruption.
As part of our commitment to international action on
corruption and transparency the UK also works to improve
standards of anti-corruption legislation and enforcement
among our trading partners internationally through the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the
UN, and the Council of Europe conventions against corruption.
Our Posts throughout the world support the implementation
of the UK Bribery Act 2010. The FCOs Overseas Business Risk
service, providing advice to businesses on identifying and
mitigating business risks in over 80 overseas markets, includes
advice on bribery, corruption and the threat from organised
crime.
DFIDs development assistance programmes contribute to
strengthening anti-corruption systems in partner countries,
both through direct assistance to anti-corruption institutions
and oversight bodies, as well as through improving public
financial management and delivery of public services.
DFID provides targeted funding to police teams in the UK
tackling corruption in developing countries. DFID has funded
two UK police teams since 2006 to investigate the laundering
by foreign politicians and officials through the UK of the
proceeds of their corruption, and allegations of UK citizens
and companies involvement in bribery in developing countries.
An investment of over 18 million during 2006-2015 resulted
in numerous convictions in the UK of corrupt individuals and
companies for acts of bribery in developing countries. Around
156 million of assets stolen from developing countries and
laundered in the UK were restrained, recovered or returned.
To increase impact, the work of these units was merged in
June 2015 into a new International Corruption Unit at the
National Crime Agency. The Secretary of State for International
Development, Justine Greening, announced up to 21 million
of new funding for this work during 2015-2020.
14
At the HRC in June, the UK supported a resolution recognising

the negative impact of corruption on human rights. This
represents a step change in the way the HRC and its
mechanisms can consider this topic. All Special Rapporteurs
now have the mandate to take into account anti-corruption in
their work. This is a significant development and one the UK
will follow closely as it evolves.
The Department for International Developments

(DFID) Work on Economic and Social Rights
Respect for human rights underpins sustainable development. The Global Goals, which sit at the heart of the
UK Aid Strategy, represent a commitment to achieve substantive, measurable improvements on economic,
social and political human rights. This includes the overarching commitment in the Global Goals to leave no
one behind, an expression of the human rights agenda, which the UK played a key role in securing in the
negotiations. The Global Goals, agreed by the Prime Minister and other world leaders in September 2015, include
Goal 3 (good health and well-being for all), Goal 4 (quality education for all) and Goal 5 (gender equality).
A range of DFID programmes that protect and promote human rights in areas such as security, peace and justice are
referred to throughout this report. This section describes DFIDs work in 2015 relating to economic and social rights.
Girls and Women
Promoting the rights of girls and women remained a top priority
for DFID in 2015. Building on the Girl Summit to end child early
and forced marriage (CEFM) and female genital mutilation (FGM)
which took place in UK in 2014, 11 governments began developing
national plans on one or both issues. Nigeria and The Gambia
banned FGM[1]. By March 2015, DFID support had enabled 35.9
million women to work their way out of poverty by providing
access to financial services, helped 5.3 million girls to go to primary
and lower secondary school, and supported 5.1 million births with
skilled birth attendants.
Water and sanitation

Globally, 2.4 billion people do not have access to sanitation, and
663 million people do not have access to clean water. Inadequate
access to water and sanitation is the principal cause of diarrhoeal
disease, which kills nearly 1,000 children every day. The UK
recognises the right to water and sanitation as an element/
component of the right to an adequate standard of living under
Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights. From 2011 to 2015, DFID provided 20.9 million
people with access to clean drinking water, and 26.2 million people
with access to improved sanitation.
Health
In 2015, 5.9 million children under the age of five died. More
than half of these deaths were due to conditions that could
be prevented or treated with access to simple, affordable
interventions. DFID funds the provision of good-quality, costeffective, basic health services by public, private and NGO providers
to provide access for the poorest. DFID achieved the commitments
for 2011-15, including helping 9.3 million additional women to use
modern methods of family planning, ensuring 5.1 million births
were delivered with the help of nurses, midwives or doctors,
distributing 50 million insecticide-treated bed nets, and immunising
43.8 million children against preventable diseases.
Economic empowerment
Economic development and growth are the main drivers of longterm poverty reduction through the creation of more and better
jobs, which result in higher incomes. Women and girls are less able
to benefit from the opportunities generated by economic growth.
Between 2011 and 2015, DFID improved access to financial
services for 35 million women and helped 2.5 million women gain
secure land rights. In 2016, the Secretary of State for International
Development, Justine Greening, will become a member of the
UN Secretary Generals recently announced High-Level Panel
on Womens Economic Empowerment. This will increase global
leadership to tackle deep-rooted structural barriers that prevent
women and girls from accessing economic opportunities.
Education
Despite good progress against the education Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), more than 58 million children do not
attend school. 31 million of these are girls and at least 250 million
children cannot read or count, even if they have spent four years
in school. DFIDs priorities are for children to be in school and
learning. Between 2010 and 2015, DFID met its pledge to support
11 million children in primary and lower secondary school. Between
2015 and 2020, DFID has again pledged to support 11 million
children with a decent education.
[1] See http://www.unicef.org/protection/files/6.1057_DFID_AR_Girl_

Summit_Final_web_20072015.pdf for more details on progress made since
the summit
Social protection
Social protection is important to help the poorest and most
vulnerable meet their basic needs, have more control over their
lives, and allow them to take advantage of economic opportunities.
DFID supports social protection through 16 of its bilateral country
programmes, as well as in countries in the Sahel and Middle
East and North Africa regions. By March 2015, more than 9.3
million people had benefited from DFID-supported cash transfers,
including 4.9 million girls and women.
CHAPTER II: Human Rights for a Stable World
Introduction
In 2015, the UK sought to tackle the causes of conflict, and to
promote more peaceful and inclusive societies, including by
strengthening compliance with international norms.
Galvanising international action against violent extremism, and
the narratives which sustain it, was a top priority. The barbaric
acts of Daesh and other groups led to egregious human rights
abuses. Many people were targeted on the basis of their
religion or belief, with women and girls particularly at risk. In
the Middle East and North Africa region, the international
community is starting to appreciate the bellwether qualities
of freedom of religion or belief, and associated rights such as
freedom of expression and equal opportunity for women; and
to assess in that light the unfolding tragedy for the region and
the worlds original Christian communities. The government
has a manifesto pledge to promote freedom of religion or
belief, which has a practical contribution to make in the search
for peace in the region, and in defence of Christians in the
Middle East.
Faced with an unprecedented migration crisis in Europe,
the UK worked for a comprehensive solution, condemning
all violations and abuses of human rights, promoting a
solution to Syrias civil war, resettling refugees to the UK,
funding those states supporting refugees in the region, and
supporting international monitoring efforts, including the UNs
Commission of Inquiry on Syria.
2015 also marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz. Keeping alive the memories of the holocaust is
not only an act of remembrance, but also of re-dedication to
the fight against discrimination anywhere in the world. For
these and other reasons, 2015 saw increasing focus on the
relationship between human rights and conflict prevention,
which re-energised our work to prevent sexual violence and
extremism, and to protect freedom of religion or belief.In
September, the UK pledged to strengthen our commitment to
international peacekeeping.
Migration and Refugee Crisis

In 2015, the crisis in Syria led to a dramatic, unsafe and
destabilising growth in the number of refugees from the
conflict. 3,711 migrants or refugees died attempting to travel to
Europe via sea routes.
During the year, the UK more than doubled our support in
response to the Syria crisis from 1.12 billion to over 2.3
billion. Since February 2012 to the end of June 2015, our aid
in Syria and the region had provided almost 20 million food
rations, provided 1.6 million people with access to clean water,
4.6 million people with relief packages, 2.5 million medical
consultations, and education to a quarter of a million children.
The Prime Ministers focus was on securing a comprehensive

solution to the refugee crisis. He reiterated the need for the EU
to deal with the root causes of the crisis, not just respond to
the consequences.
In Syria that meant working with the international community
to bring about an end to the brutal conflict and to defeat the
threat of Daesh in the region. It also meant helping countries
to reduce migration push factors, to build stability and create
livelihoods, and to go after the criminal gangs and smuggling
networks that profit from this human misery.
In September, the Prime Minister announced that the UK
would resettle 20,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees
over the next five years. This would build on an existing
scheme for Syrians designed to support refugees based on
their vulnerability. In addition to those 20,000 people the UK
pledged to accept from the region, we have partnered with
the UNs Refugee Agency, UNHCR, to identify vulnerable child
refugees in the region for resettlement to the UK, where it is in
the best interests of the child. The Department for International
Development (DFID) committed nearly 55 million in
humanitarian assistance, of which over 51 million was spent in
2015-16, making the UK the largest bilateral contributor to the
humanitarian response. In addition, DFID also committed to
establish a 10 million Refugee Children Fund to help support
vulnerable children in Europe, including unaccompanied and
separated children, and those at risk of being trafficked.
UK funding in 2016 will include new commitments to provide
Syrian refugees with jobs and education and support host
countries in the region to accommodate them. Richard
Harrington MP has been appointed as Minister with specific
responsibility for Syrian refugees. He coordinates and delivers
work across government to resettle Syrian refugees in the UK,
and coordinates the provision of government support to Syrian
refugees in the region.
Countering Extremism
The UK government is appalled by the brutal human rights
abuses perpetrated by Daesh. Despite suffering a series of
significant setbacks in Iraq and Syria at the hands of local forces
and the Global Coalition, Daesh continued to commit atrocities
throughout 2015.
There were many reports of Daesh carrying out public
executions, with civilians, including children, encouraged or
forced to attend. Daesh used many abhorrent methods of
torture and execution, including immolation, crucifixion, and
throwing victims from tall buildings. Bodies were routinely
mutilated and put on public display as warnings to the local
population. There was also significant evidence of mass
executions taking place in Daesh-held areas.
16
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Haider Al-Abadi, Prime Minister of Iraq and US Secretary of State John Kerry
speak to the media following the Counter-ISIL Coalition Small Group Meeting in London, 22 January 2015
The majority of Daeshs victims in Iraq, Syria, Libya and

elsewhere were Sunni Muslims. Members of minority groups,
such as Christians and Yezidis were also routinely persecuted,
including because of their religion or belief, with women and
girls being a key target.
Kurds were also targeted by Daesh. In one recorded incident,
on 25-27 June, Daesh fighters disguised themselves in Kurdish
uniforms in order to infiltrate the town of Kobane in Syria
where they proceeded to execute approximately 250 civilians
at random, often in their own homes.
The UK will continue to look at every available option to
ensure accountability for these crimes, and to work with
our international partners on what can be done to assist the
victims. In 2015, the UK was at the forefront of efforts to
relieve the suffering caused by Daesh and other groups in the
region, most notably the Asad regime in Syria, pledging over
1.1 billion in humanitarian aid to the crisis in Syria and the
region.
In 2015, the UK played a leading part in a Global Coalition of
over 65 countries and international organisations, including
many in the region, united to defeat Daesh on all fronts. The
UK led UN efforts on sanctions,and worked with the private
sector to disrupt supply routes on which Daesh relies for its oil
income.
The UK is participating in the coalitions military campaign in
Iraq and Syria, which has reversed Daeshs advance, limiting
its scope to carry out atrocities. We are also working hard for
a durable political transition in Syria and inclusive government,

reconciliation and reform in Iraq, both of which are needed for
the comprehensive defeat of Daesh.
The government is committed to tackling the growing
threat from extremists, who seek to undermine the values
of tolerance upheld by the vast majority of people in our
diverse country. In October, the government published its
Counter-Extremism Strategy[19], which aims to defeat all forms
of extremism, violent or non-violent. The strategy outlines
comprehensive measures in four key areas: countering
extremist ideology, building a partnership with all those
opposed to extremism, disrupting extremists and building
cohesive communities. The strategy is focused on tackling the
threat posed by extremism to the UK. But we recognise that
the problem is a global one, so will work internationally to
reinforce our domestic efforts. In 2016 a key dimension will
be support for the UN Secretary Generals Plan of Action to
Prevent Violent Extremism.
Counter Terrorism
Security, justice and human rights are mutually reinforcing.
Most human rights violations and abuses occur in unstable,
conflict-affected countries. Where human rights violations and
abuses do occur, redress can only be achieved by effective
policing and judicial systems which uphold the rule of law.
[19]https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_
data/file/470088/51859_Cm9148_Accessible.pdf
The UK acts to underpin international security and justice

systems in a range of ways. Following attacks such as those in
Sousse and Sharm al-Sheikh, British law enforcement officers
and security experts deployed to protect the immediate welfare
of British citizens and to help the countries which suffered
from attacks to investigate and to improve their preventative
security. We also offered capacity-building assistance to dozens
of countries wishing to improve their security and justice
systems.
UK assistance is always intended to improve public safety
and respect for human rights. However, it is possible for
skills and equipment shared during assistance programmes
to be misused. To address this risk, in 2011 the UK published
guidance on the provision of UK Overseas Security and Justice
Assistance (updated in 2014).
Responsible defence and security exports are essential for our
security and prosperity, and underpin long-term relationships
with our partners and allies and help deliver wider foreign
policy objectives. We remain committed to operating our
robust export licensing process to ensure such exports accord
with our values. All export licence applications are assessed on
a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National
Arms Export Licensing Criteria (Consolidated Criteria), including
whether there is a clear risk the items might be used for
internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation
of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), or might be used
aggressively against another country or to assert by force a
territorial claim.
Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB)

The UK is committed to upholding the right to FoRB. Societies
which protect this right are more tolerant and ultimately more
likely to be prosperous and stable.
The challenge is complex but increasingly urgent. The Prime
Minister has described the fight against extremism as the
struggle of our generation. Communities which teach their
children to reject and devalue those who follow a different
religion, or who do not have a religious belief, are providing
fertile ground for extremist views and behaviours. As the
international community works together to combat violent
extremism, the importance of tackling its root causes is clear.
Absence of FoRB can be one of those root causes. We must
work with our international partners to amend laws and
change practices that discriminate on grounds of religion or
belief. We are looking at FoRB through a new lens, focusing
on its contribution to building a more stable world.
In 2015, we continued to champion the right to FoRB through
the multilateral system. In the UN we played an active part in
ensuring that the EU resolution on FoRB and the Organisation
of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) resolution on combating religious
intolerance were both adopted by consensus.
We also contributed to the Canadian-led International
Contact Group on FoRB, which was formally launched in
Brussels in June. We maintained a high profile for the issue
in the EU, agreeing a guidance note to help EU Delegations
and Member State Embassies implement the EUs guidelines
on FoRB. We assisted a meeting of the International
Panel of Parliamentarians in September at the UN General

Assembly (UNGA), with the participation of more than 100
parliamentarians from across the world. Initiatives such as
these strengthen the resolve of the international community
to act on FoRB, sharing information on individual cases, and
coordinating responses.
In March, FCO Minister for the Middle East, Tobias Ellwood,
took part in a French-led UN session on religious minorities
in the Middle East. During the debate, Mr Ellwood called for
bold leadership from governments and communities in the
region to promote tolerance and reconciliation. Mr Ellwood
and FCO Minister for Human Rights, Baroness Anelay, also
held a brainstorming meeting with UK NGOs in November to
consider what more could be done to help Christians and other
persecuted minorities in the Middle East.
We raised individual cases of persecution.In Burma, we voiced
our concern at the situation of the Rohingya community with
members of the Burmese government. FCO Minister for Asia,
Hugo Swire, discussed this directly with the then Rakhine State
Chief Minister, General Maung Maung Ohn, when he visited
Rakhine in July. Mr Swire also raised this issue with the then
Burmese Foreign Minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, in September.
We regularly raise our concerns about FoRB in China. We did
so in detail during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in
April, and continue to do so as part of our broader relationship.
We repeatedly lobbied the Iranian authorities about the
incarceration of seven Bahai leaders in Iran and have spoken
up about their shocking sentencing to 20 years imprisonment
on charges of espionage, propaganda against the regime,
collusion and collaboration for the purpose of endangering
the national security, and spreading corruption on earth.
As we made clear in public statements, it is appalling that the
Iranian justice system reinstated this original sentence after
acquitting the leaders of several charges.
We were very concerned by reports of persecution of
Christians in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
Through our policy of critical engagement with North Korea
we regularly raised our concerns about human rights abuses,
including FoRB.
The Foreign Secretary and FCO Ministers pressed Pakistan a
number of times throughout the year on religious freedom
and human rights, including the treatment of the Ahmadiyya
community.
The FCO supported projects designed to tackle discriminatory
legislation and attitudes. We worked with human rights and
faith-based organisations to promote dialogue, build capacity,
foster links and strengthen mutual understanding within
societies. For example, we funded the NGO Christian Solidarity
Worldwide to create a network of human rights activists
working on FoRB in South Asia. It was encouraging to see the
way that people of different faiths came together to support
each other. They developed a web-based platform to share
information, and some members of the network invited others
to visit them to share best practice. As a result of activism by
the group, the UN Special Rapporteur on FoRB was able to visit
India.
18
We supported a project run by Religion News Service

encouraging responsible journalism in Burma. It led to articles
on themes seldom covered by the local media, and to a
marked reduction in the use of emotive language, omissions
caused by bias, stereotypical imagery, and other shortcomings
that had stoked inter-communal tensions in the past.
Other projects have included one delivered by the Indonesia
Legal Aid Institute to strengthen the capacity of advocates in
Indonesia to protect the right to FoRB in their caseloads; and
another, run by Hardwired, to inspire and equip key civil society
leaders in Iraq to become articulate defenders of FoRB. As
part of this project, an innovative four-day training course was
conducted in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region for 20 civil society
leaders, including teachers, religious leaders, journalists, and
advocates, on the principles of FoRB.Participants came from
diverse political and religious backgrounds, including Christians,
Yezidis, and prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Several participants commented that this was the first time
they had ever discussed sensitive religious issues on a training
course, especially with members of other religions.While
participants exhibited initial discomfort with the topic and one
another, by the end plans were in place to work together.
In 2015, we continued to increase religious literacy training
amongst staff from the FCO and other government
departments through regular courses on religion and foreign
policy, and a series of seminars with high-profile experts.
Among the most prominent speakers were the Archbishop of
Canterbury and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar. FCOs rapidly
evolving Diplomatic Academy includes an online foundationlevel module on religious literacy. Equipping our diplomats
with a greater understanding of the key role faith plays in
global politics helps us to make better policy judgements.
In 2016, a key focus will be support for the UN Secretary
Generals Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. We
will encourage countries to develop action plans which include
actions to promote FoRB as one way of tackling the root
causes of extremism.
Post-Holocaust Issues
The government supports international efforts to ensure
that the lessons of the Holocaust are learned, including
by future generations. We play an active part in the
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA); and
in the International Commission which ensures that millions
of records from the Second World War concentration and
displaced persons camps are accessible to scholars and the
public, through the International Tracing Service (ITS).
In September Sir Eric Pickles succeeded Sir Andrew Burns as the
UK Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues. Sir Andrew had spent five
extremely productive years in the post, placing the UK at the
forefront of international activity in the field. Sir Eric has four
priorities: drawing greater attention to the killing sites, where
more victims of the Holocaust died than in concentration
camps; focusing on the role of bystanders to prompt todays
generation to reflect on what we would have done in their
place; the return of stolen property; and opening up some of
the still-closed archives relating to the Holocaust.
As Head of the UK Delegation to IHRA, Sir Eric led the

delegation to its meeting in Debrecen, Hungary, in November.
Partly as a result of international pressure, including by Sir Eric
and others in the margins of that meeting, the municipality
of the western Hungarian city of Szkesfehrvr withdrew its
support for a project to erect a statue of a wartime antisemitic
politician, Blint Hman. Joint lobbying by IHRA Heads of
Delegation was also effective in ensuring that the EUs new
General Data Protection Regulation will contain a specific
exemption for historical data relating to the Holocaust.
Before stepping down, Sir Andrew took a leading role in the
recruitment of a new Director for the ITS. We were delighted
to welcome the appointment of Floriane Hohenberg to this
post. We also pay tribute to the work of the Wiener Library,
holder of the UK copy of the ITS archive. Sir Eric is actively
involved in the governments work to strengthen international
co-operation against antisemitism. We strongly welcomed
the European Commissions decision to create the position of
Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism, and the appointment
of Katharina von Schnurbein to the post. The government
played an active part in the Global Forum to Combat
Antisemitism, held in Jerusalem in May.
Looking ahead, we will press for further restitution of property
stolen by the Nazis and their allies, and support the IHRA in
its focus on practical outcomes and the ITS in its drive to put
as many as possible of its collections online. We will work
closely with other countries Envoys for Post-Holocaust Issues
to promote a stronger international voice on this theme. We
will ensure that the Holocaust is not seen solely as an historical
fact, but also as a profound lesson about the danger of letting
prejudice run unchecked, which can help us guard against
intolerance and future genocides.
Death Penalty and Torture Prevention

The UK supports global abolition of the death penalty; as a
first step to achieving that, we call for a moratorium in the use
of this outdated, cruel, unfair and ineffective punishment. To
this end, the FCO funded 14 projects costing over 540,000
in 2015. British diplomats in retentionist countries sought to
persuade their host governments to join the move towards
global abolition of the death penalty.
It was disappointing that a small number of countries
made increased use of the death penalty in 2015. Amnesty
International reported a 54% year-on-year increase in the
number of reported executions; and that 25 carried out at least
one execution.
China remains responsible for the large majority of the worlds
executions. It is a source of great concern that these are
carried out in secret and that it is not possible to confirm the
exact number of people executed. However, there are signs of
progress. In August, the National Peoples Congress resolved
to reduce the number of crimes punishable by death from 55
to 46. We believe that the number of executions carried out
annually has fallen by more than half over the last decade.
Three other countries Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
were responsible for 89% of all recorded executions in 2015.
The 320 people executed in Pakistan may have been the
Countries that executed more

than 10 people in 2015
More than 75% of States have

now abolished the Death Penalty
(in descending order of estimated

number of executions): China, Iran,
Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the
United States, North Korea, Egypt,
Somalia and Chad.
Entirely abolished the death

penalty (52%)
Abolished for all ordinary crimes
(2%)
More than 10 executions in

2015 (6%)
De facto abolitionistno
execution for ten years (25%)
Fewer than 10 executions in

2015 (7%)
Executed in last 10 years, but
not in 2015 (8%)
Source: The Death Penalty Project
highest number in Pakistani history. It was also disappointing

that Egypt and Somalia executed more people than in 2014
and that Chad carried out executions, ending an informal
moratorium that had lasted some years.
and the death penalty at which Muslim scholars pointed out

that the Koran rarely requires a death sentence and that, when
it does, evidence standards must be high and provisions must
be made for merciful commutation.
However, despite negative developments in a small number

of countries, 2015 also confirmed the long-term movement
towards abolition of the death penalty. Many countries took
decisive steps away from use of the death penalty, which is
now used intensively by only a small rump of states.
The UK will work with international partners to maximise the

number of votes for a moratorium on use of the death penalty
at the UNGA in December 2016.
Madagascar, Fiji, Suriname and Congo took legal steps to

abolish the death penalty in 2015 and in December the
Mongolian Parliament voted to abolish it. South America
has long been an almost exclusively abolitionist continent,
but Africa has recently seen considerable improvement. 17
countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death
penalty for all crimes; a further 20 states have not carried out
an execution for 10 years. In July 2015, Zambian President
Edgar Lungu commuted the sentences of the countrys 332
death row prisoners to life imprisonment, while Ghanaian
President John Mahama commuted 14 death sentences to
mark the 55th Ghanaian Republic Day anniversary. Togo
ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the abolition of the
death penalty in 2015.
We condemn and do not support the death penalty in any

circumstances and that includes Saudi Arabia. We always make
representations on the death penalty.
Prime Minister David Cameron
In the United States, Nebraska abolished the death penalty

in 2015, while Oregon Pennsylvania and Washington State
established moratoria.
Consular work and the death penalty

Twelve British nationals faced the death penalty, globally, at the
end of 2015. The UK objects to the use of the death penalty in
all circumstances and uses appropriate interventions to prevent
the execution of any British national. We intervene at whatever
stage and level is deemed most effective from the moment
a death sentence becomes a possibility. We lobby at senior
political level when necessary, and made representations on
behalf of British nationals in a number of countries, including
Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and the United States. We work
closely with legal teams employed by British nationals facing
the death penalty and are supported in this endeavour by two
NGOs: Reprieve and the Death Penalty Project (DPP). In 2016
we will continue to intervene in death penalty cases as and
where necessary.
Several countries which faced terrorist attacks, including

Tunisia, exercised restraint on the use of the death penalty in
2015. In Jordan the barbaric killing of Muath al-Kasasbeh led to
the execution of two prisoners in February, but no executions
have been carried out since.
Torture
We are concerned that torture or other ill treatment a
practice prohibited under all circumstances continues to
blight the criminal justice systems of many states.
To mark World Day against the Death Penalty in October 2015,

the FCO hosted a debate on the relationship between Sharia
The illegality of torture means that its use is covert and denied,
making its effect on the rule of law particularly corrosive.
20
Baroness Anelay meeting UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie Pitt and Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma,
Chairperson of the African Union Commission in London, 26 June 2015
Worldwide, there were some encouraging developments in

2015. Brunei signed the Convention against Torture. South
Sudan and Vietnam ratified it. Belize, Mauritania, Mongolia,
Rwanda and South Sudan took the more advanced step of
ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention, committing
those countries to establish an effective national mechanism to
prevent torture.
The FCO spent over 600,000 funding a wide range of torture
prevention projects in 2015 and will fund more in 2016 using
the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. FCO
project work in 2015 focused on two main goals: supporting
regional efforts to prevent torture in Africa, and combating
torture through effective prohibition, criminalisation and
prevention in future role model states. For example, the Human
Rights and Democracy Programme (HRDP) funded the NGO
Redress to work with the Committee for the Prevention of
Torture in Africa to strengthen anti-torture legal frameworks in
seven target countries. In Rwanda, we funded a project to help
establish an National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) that can
effectively monitor detention facilities throughout the country
and prevent torture.
In September, the FCO hosted an event to launch the FCOfunded second edition of Essex Universitys The Torture
Reporting Handbook[20], a guide for all those tasked with
investigating and documenting instances of torture with a view
to gaining redress.
[20]http://www.essex.ac.uk/hrc/documents/practice/torture-reportinghandbook-second-edition.pdf
In November, Her Majestys Chief Inspector of Prisons

participated in a high-level workshop in Abuja.Sharing British
experience could be helpful to Nigeria as it implements
measures under its obligations as a state party to the Optional
Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT).
Building effective torture prevention systems will remain
a focus of British diplomacy. Our key goal is for states to
establish NPMs as part of ratification and full implementation
of the OPCAT. The UK will work with international partners,
particularly Denmark, to mark the 10th anniversary of the
OPCAT coming into force on 22 June 2016. We will use that
milestone to share the British experience of establishing a NPM
and to promote further state ratifications and signatures of the
Protocol.
Consular work and torture
In 2015 we provided torture and mistreatment awareness
workshops to help our staff take appropriate action in highrisk countries. We also launched a torture and mistreatment
awareness e-learning programme for consular staff worldwide.
Overseas prisoners
At the end of September 2015, we were aware of 2,003 British
prisoners detained overseas. Of these, drug offences account
for 36% of cases and child sex offences for 8% a slight
increase in each from 2014. We offer consular assistance to all
British nationals and dual nationals in a third country whether
they are in police custody, awaiting trial, or serving a prison
sentence, regardless of the crime with which they have been

charged. In certain exceptional circumstances, we can help
dual nationals in the country of their second nationality and
nationals of other European and Commonwealth countries.
In line with our consular policy, we aim to contact British
detainees within 24 hours of being notified of their arrest or
detention. Depending on the individual, country, and local
circumstances in which they are detained, we will also seek to
visit them as soon as possible afterwards. Our primary role is to
monitor their welfare and to provide basic information about
the local legal and penal system, including a list of Englishspeaking lawyers and interpreters, and the availability of legal
aid.
We continue to support the welfare of British detainees
overseas in close partnership with Prisoners Abroad. This UK
charity offers grants and vitamin supplements to improve the
health and well-being of prisoners held overseas, and provides
resettlement assistance on return to the UK. We work with
Prisoners Abroad on over 1,000 cases a year, particularly those
of prisoners with medical concerns.
Conflict
Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI)
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a feature of
many conflicts, frequently affecting those with least recourse
to support and justice mechanisms. It exacerbates conflicts
and if its consequences are not dealt with as a key part of
peacebuilding processes hinders community reconciliation.
PSVI was launched in 2012 to tackle this problem and, in 2014,
we convened the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in
Conflict. In June 2015, Baroness Anelay was appointed the
Prime Ministers Special Representative on Sexual Violence

in Conflict. Since her appointment, she has met survivors in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq; announced the translation
of the International Protocol on the Documentation and
Investigation into Sexual Violence in Conflict into six languages
(including Kurdish, Lingala and Albanian); and initiated new
projects supported by the HRDP in a range of conflict-affected
countries.
The government continued to pursue the objectives established
at the launch of the Initiative. Highlights included:
(1) To address the culture of impunity that exists for these
crimes.
In Syria, we deployed members of the PSVI Team of
Experts to support the training of health professionals
and human rights defenders in collecting and preserving
evidence of human rights abuses, including sexual
violence, for future prosecutions.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, we supported the NGO
Medica Zenica through the HRDP. Medica Zenica
provided assistance to survivors of sexual violence
seeking damages from the state. In August, the
Cantonal Court in Zenica granted civil war victim
status to a male survivor of sexual violence for the first
time. Medica Zenica supported him throughout his case.
(2) To increase the number of perpetrators held to account.
In Colombia, we supported a project to create a
network made up of women survivors of sexual violence
and support professionals across five regions (Putumayo,
Nario, Bolvar, Cesar and Meta). The network is
providing assistance to survivors seeking justice and
promoting their leadership in prevention programmes.
Implementing the International Protocol on the Documentation

and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict
Since its launch at the 2014 Global Summit to End Sexual Violence, HRDP funds have supported training on and use of the
International Protocol in a number of conflict-affected countries. In the DRC we have supported the NGO TRIAL to:
train 50
beneficiaries
(local policemen,lawyers
and human rights
defenders) on the
International Protocol
undertake 20
documentation
missions to gather
evidence on sexual
violence cases
submit 18 sexual
violence cases to
justice on behalf of a
total of 132 survivors
as a result,
4 criminal trials
against perpetrators
of sexual violence
crimes opened in
South Kivu province
22
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, we supported the NGO

TRIAL in legal work through the HRDP. In June, TRIAL
secured a landmark ruling. A former Bosnian-Serb
soldier was sentenced to eight years in prison and
ordered to pay more than 10,000 to the woman he
raped in 1993. This has opened the way for thousands
of survivors in Bosnia to claim compensation.
(3) To ensure better support for survivors.
In Syria, we funded the National Democratic Institute to
train human rights activists. Since June, these activists
have led discussions with over 1,000 Syrian women
and men on the topic of preventing sexual violence and
supporting survivors.
In the DRC, we continued to support an initiative by the
NGO Tearfund to support survivors of sexual violence.
Through this project, more than 200 survivors have
come forward to receive counselling, and 75 faith
leaders have been trained on sexual violence and the
needs of survivors.
Baroness Anelay visited Kosovo in July, where
she announced that the Kosovo Centre for the
Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture and its partners
would receive funding of 80,000 for their work with
survivors of sexual violence.
PSVI priorities in 2016
In 2016, the FCO will work with like-minded countries,
multilateral organisations, NGOs, and other UK government
departments to:
1. Challenge traditional attitudes to sexual violence in conflict
and work to end the stigma suffered by survivors.
2. Improve how security forces around the world prevent and
respond to these crimes and abuses, including through
supporting the Ministry of Defences work in this area.
3. Deliver justice for survivors, including
better access to healthcare, psychosocial
support, and livelihood programmes.
Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC)

The UK continued to play a role on the UN Working Group
on CAAC, which leads the international response to the issue
of child soldiers and child protection. This included pressing
those countries listed in the UN Secretary-Generals (UNSG)
annual report on CAAC to agree concrete Action Plans with
the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with
armed groups and forces. We also pushed for the inclusion
of child protection in peacekeeping responses through UN
mandate renewals and resolutions. We continued to support
the campaign of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary
General (SRSG) to end the recruitment and use of children by
government armed forces in conflict and provided funding to
support her work on implementation of the UN Action Plans,
including technical missions to monitor violations committed
against children.Following a visit from the SRSG in July, the
government of Burma signed the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child in September 2015.
In the same month, the government of the DRC endorsed
a roadmap to accelerate the implementation of their Action

Plan, following a workshop held in Kinshasa a month earlier, in
which the Office of the SRSG participated.
UN Peacekeeping and Human Rights

UN peacekeeping missions play a vital role in supporting the
transition from conflict to peace in some of the most fragile
regions in the world. The destabilising effects of such conflicts,
particularly the violence and displacement that they produce,
often leave civilian populations vulnerable to human rights
violations and abuses. Peacekeeping missions contribute
to reducing that threat, and protection of civilians is at the
heart of their objectives. All new UN peacekeeping missions
since 1999 have had a protection of civilians element in their
mandate, and for some it is the primary goal.
The UK contributes strongly to both the policy and the delivery
of peacekeeping. The recently published Strategic Defence and
Security Review (SDSR) made clear that the UK will continue
to champion reform to increase the efficiency and impact of
UN engagement.
In 2015 the UN published the High Level Independent Panel
on Peacekeeping Operations review on UN peacekeeping.
The UK was a major contributor to the review, pushing to
make peacekeeping missions quicker, more tailored to their
environments, and more willing and capable to protect civilians
effectively. In 2016 the UK will work with UN partners to
implement the recommendations of the review and realise
those changes.
The UK has always been a significant financial supporter of
peacekeeping, and is currently the fifth largest contributor to
the UN peacekeeping budget. During 2015 the UK deepened
its operational involvement. On 28 September the United
States hosted a UN Peacekeeping Summit, at which the UK
pledged to double its military contribution to peacekeeping.
In 2016 the UK will send up to 70 troops to Somalia (UNSOS)
and several hundred troops to South Sudan (UNMISS). Both
missions have a strong focus on the protection of civilians. The
UK will hold a further conference in London in 2016 to follow
up the pledges made in the United States and drive forward
the process of turning those commitments into action.
Peacebuilding
Human rights violations are both symptoms and among the
causes of violent conflict. Peacebuilding encompasses activities
designed to consolidate peaceful relations and strengthen
political, socio-economic, and security institutions capable of
handling conflict, in order to lay the foundation for sustainable
peace and development in the longer term. This is fundamental
to the UKs national security objectives, and integral to the
promotion of rule of law, good governance and human rights.
The UK pursues several peacebuilding goals through the
UN, which play a key role in addressing post-conflict
challenges. The UK is committed to encouraging a more
coordinated approach to peacebuilding throughout the
UN, supporting efforts to strengthen the UNs involvement
in conflict prevention. This includes working to support
the UN peacebuilding architecture and the UNs political,

humanitarian, security and development tools so that they
can work together more effectively. During 2015, a review
of the UNs peacebuilding institutions took place. We
remain engaged in the process to decide the UNs response
to the recommendations and use them to strengthen its
peacebuilding function.
The UNs primary tools for delivering peacebuilding activities in
conflict-affected states are Special Political Missions (SPMs) and
its Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).The UK takes a strategic approach
to SPMs, including evaluating their mandates, leadership and
resourcing. Human rights are at the heart of their activities. In
2015, the UK provided 8 million to the Peacebuilding Fund,
supporting projects in a wide range of countries. In Central
African Republic, the PBF helped maintain a police presence
during a tense moment in the peace process by paying salary
costs, and played a part in demobilising hundreds of former
fighters. In Somalia, the PBF contributed to a stabilisation
strategy that is establishing interim administrations and
delivering security and services in 25 newly recovered districts.
In Sierra Leone an existing PBF-funded security sector reform
project was rapidly refocused to provide human rights and
civilian relations training at Ebola checkpoints. In Liberia, a PBFsupported land disputes resolution mechanism has built good
community trust, resolving 200 cases last year.
The UKs SDSR pledged support to civilian UN policing.
During 2015, the UK maintained its contingent of police
officers in the UNs mission in South Sudan, developing trust
between communities and the police. We also supported
the development of the Liberian National Police through
a secondment to the UNs mission. British expertise is
strengthening the national police services capacity to respond
to major incidents and crises.
In 2016 we will continue to support the UNs peacebuilding
institutions in their efforts to help countries emerging from
conflict to progress towards sustainable peace. The PBF will
continue to target its efforts in around 20 countries. It will
continue to commit funding to Somalia to help establish
interim regional authorities, and it will help establish a national
dialogue in South Sudan. We will provide financial support, and
use our political influence to encourage effective co-ordination
between the peacebuilding architecture and other parts of
the UN. We will continue police support to UN peacekeeping
missions in South Sudan and Liberia, and look for opportunities
to deploy police officers and experts to other countries
affected by conflict.
Responsibility to Protect, and

Mass Atrocity Prevention
In 2015, the UK continued its support for the principle of
the Responsibility to Protect, and mass atrocity prevention
more widely. We continued to provide funding for the
UNs Joint Office of The Special Adviser on The Prevention
of Genocide and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility
to Protect, alongside support to the Global Centre for the
Responsibility to Protect. The UK pledged its support to the
Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Groups Code
of Conduct regarding UNSC action against genocide, crimes

against humanity, or war crimes. We continued to support
programmes in regions at risk of, or suffering from, mass
atrocities, focusing on improving governance, promotion of
tolerance and moderate religious voices, and reducing support
for violent extremism, aiming to prevent escalation of violence
and build tolerance in societies.
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA)

The UK fully supports the UNSGs zero tolerance policy towards
SEA against civilians in peacekeeping missions, and tackling this
is a priority for the UK.Peacekeeping is part of the solution to
preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict, so it
is all the more appalling when it is seen, instead, to abuse or
attack those it is deployed to protect.This tarnishes both the
reputation of peacekeepers and the credibility of the UN.
We are pleased to see a number of detailed initiatives by the
UNSG to help prevent SEA, and to strengthen accountability
when abuses have taken place. We welcome the adoption of
UNSC Resolution 2272 (2016) supporting these initiatives. In
2016, the UK will be working closely with the UN to help the
UNSG implement these initiatives.
Voluntary Principles on Security

and Human Rights (VPs)
Throughout 2015, the UK continued to be a strong supporter
of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights
(VPs)[21]. The UKs one-year Chairmanship of the VPs[22]
concluded in March 2015. At the closing Plenary in London,
we took the opportunity to promote the benefits of the VPs
among invited governments, discuss security and human rights
challenges, and encourage members to peer review each
others performance.Since March, the UK has remained active
via a role on the Steering Committee. This has enabled us to
support the implementation of initiatives agreed under our
Chairmanship, such as more frequent peer reviews of company
and government activity in complex environments. We have
also supported the further development of the guidance for
the Voluntary Principles Initiative, and have played a leading
role supporting national implementation and conducting
outreach in priority countries including Kenya, Tanzania,
Angola and Guinea. UK-led projects in 2015 include hosting
VP events at Mining Indaba in South Africa, and funding a
project on implementing the VPs in Lunda Norte, Angola,
through the HRDP.
In 2016, our work on outreach will continue as we aim to
increase awareness, understanding and implementation of the
VPs.
Private Security Companies (PSCs)

Legitimate PSCs working to high standards play a vital role in
the protection of businesses, NGOs and diplomatic missions
[21]http://www.voluntaryprinciples.org/
[22]https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-concludes-chairmanship-ofglobal-business-best-practice-initiative
24
working in complex and dangerous environments around the

world. However, the nature of their work makes it essential
that PSCs manage and mitigate any negative impact their work
has on local communities and conflicts. The UK is a signatory
to the Montreux Document on private military and security
companies, which defines how international law applies to the
activities of private military and security companies when they
are operating in an armed conflict zone.
In 2015, our objective was to ensure that the standards respect
human rights and can be implemented by PSCs. Internationally,
we continued to advocate the benefits of PSCs pursuing
certification to a standard via membership of the International
Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers Association
(ICoCA)[23]. As members of the Board of ICoCA in 2015,
we assisted the development of gap analysis between the
industry standard PSC-1 for land-based PSCs and ISO 28007 for
maritime PSCs. In the UK, we have worked closely with our
industry partner, the Security in Complex Environments Group
(SCEG)[24], and with civil society, to develop the international
process to consider revisions of the relevant standards,
including ISO 18788 standard for land-based PSCs. This
work contributed to the publication of ISO 28007 standard
in April 2015, and of ISO 18788 in November 2015. We also
continued to work with United Kingdom Accreditation Service
(UKAS), facilitating contributions from industry and civil society
expertise, to ensure that UKAS Guidance for Certification
Bodies certifying against ISO 28007, published in November,
correctly interpreted the human rights aspects of the standard.
continued to support and encourage relevant UK importers to

carry out full and transparent due diligence based on OECD
Due Diligence Guidance[26] for Responsible Supply Chains of
Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. This
provides specific guidance on gold and tin, tungsten and
tantalum, all of which are used in consumer electronics.
We also supported significant progress in the negotiations
between EU Member States towards agreement on the EU
Regulation[27] on the responsible sourcing of minerals, which
aims to encourage EU importers of minerals to carry out due
diligence on their supply chains. We will continue our active
role as negotiations towards a final regulation continue in 2016
In 2016, our focus will be working with ICoCA and its

government, companies and civil society partners, to develop
its certification, monitoring and grievance processes. We will
also continue to work with UKAS on their guidance on the
implementation of ISO18788.
Responsible sourcing of minerals

As high value-added products, minerals can provide a source
of funding for armed groups and, where funds are diverted
from legitimate local producers, can harm local communities
who should expect to benefit from a valuable economic
resource. In 2015, the UK continued to address both issues
through The Kimberley Process (KP)[25] Certification Scheme for
trade in rough diamonds, and by encouraging better corporate
due diligence on supply chains for minerals.
The Government Diamond Office (GDO), based in the FCO,
and the UK Border Force are responsible for implementing the
requirements of the KP and preventing illicit diamonds entering
or leaving the UK. In September, the UK hosted a visit by a KP
Peer Review team, as part of a KP audit of the EUs compliance
with KP standards. This review allowed us to demonstrate how
the GDO implements the KP in the UK via company audits,
advice to traders, and handling seizures of illegal goods.
Effective due diligence by companies buying minerals which
may originate from conflict-affected areas complements the
diamond-specific work of governments in the KP. In 2015, we
[23]http://www.icoca.ch/en/the_icoc
[24]http://www.sceguk.org.uk/
[26]http://www.oecd.org/corporate/mne/GuidanceEdition2.pdf
[25]http://www.kimberleyprocess.com/
[27]http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2014/march/tradoc_152227.pdf
CHAPTER III Strengthening the Rules Based International System
Introduction
The UKs 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR)
made clear that our long-term security and prosperity benefit
from membership of a stable international system that reflects
our values. Throughout 2015, the UK championed universal
rights through the multilateral system, supported countries in
transition, promoted ratification and implementation of core
human rights treaties, and called for those states and non-state
actors who violated international law to be held to account.
Through our membership of organisations such as the UN, the
EU, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE), the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Commonwealth,
the UK is committed to ensuring that the benefits of the rulesbased international system are extended to all.
The United Nations

In 2015, the UN celebrated its 70th anniversary. The UN
emerged from the ashes of WWII bearing hope of a better
world. Much has been achieved by the UN and its member
states over the past seventy years, including establishing
the tenets of international human rights law and promoting
compliance with international humanitarian law by all parties
to armed conflict. While the UN has its own challenges, it has
never been more relevant than today, including in the area of
human rights.
The UN is key to the UKs objectives on human rights. It
provides a forum for the development of internationally agreed
standards on human rights and technical support for their
implementation, and for international scrutiny of country
situations and dialogue between states on the major issues
of our day. The main intergovernmental forum on human
rights is the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council (HRC), of
which the UK is currently a voting member, giving considerable
importance to the human rights work of our Permanent
Representative. Other UN fora central to UK human rights
priorities include the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Third
Committee and the UN Security Council (UNSC), which needs
to be able to consider whether human rights crises are a threat
to international peace and security. Over the course of 2015,
the UK was pleased to support increasing dialogue on human
rights at the UNSC, with the High Commissioner and AssistantSecretary General for Human Rights briefing the Council on
numerous issues.
The UK supports the work of the UNs expert human rights
mechanisms, including the treaty bodies (bodies of experts
set up to monitor state compliance with their human rights
treaty obligations) and special procedures (expert individuals
or working groups mandated to monitor and review country
or thematic issues), as well as the UNs Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and its field
presences. All these mechanisms help ensure that political

commitments translate into action on the ground.
In 2015, the UK maintained its financial support for the UNs
human rights institutions, providing, through DFID, 2.5
million to the OHCHR on top of our usual contribution via the
UN Regular Budget. We provided approximately a further 1
million to support OHCHR projects and field work around the
world. OHCHR is included in DFIDs Multilateral Aid Review,
which assesses the performance of the UKs multilateral
partners.
Country issues
On 1 October, the HRC adopted, by consensus, the UK/
United States-led resolution on promoting reconciliation,
accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. This was a
historic moment for Sri Lanka and the HRC, turning the page
after years of international confrontation. The investigation of
the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was mandated
by a hard-won vote at the HRC in March 2014, following
a global lobbying campaign led by the Prime Minister. It
described many appalling violations and abuses committed by
both sides during and after the Sri Lankan civil war. Many of its
recommendations are reflected in the 2015 resolution which
focuses on measures for accountability for past violations
and further steps on reconciliation. This consensual UN
outcome on Sri Lanka in 2015 has provided a framework for
an important Commonwealth partner to rebuild peace and
prosperity, which was the Prime Ministers vision from the 2013
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
It also demonstrates where collective international focus and
ministerial engagement can promote change.
The UK continued to lead action on Syria at the HRC. We
successfully renewed the mandate of the Commission of
Inquiry (COI), the only UN body collecting evidence on human
rights violations and abuses in Syria. This series of resolutions
also: called for full accountability for crimes committed and
unhindered humanitarian assistance; condemned the regimes
use of barrel bombs and aerial bombardment and abuses
by Daesh; gave support to the political track; and included
new language on assisting Syrian refugees. In February and
November, the UK hosted Arria-formula (informal) meetings
of the UNSC with the COI so that Council Members could be
briefed on their latest findings.
Following a COI report on the appalling human rights
situation in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK),
the UK, as part of the EU, in partnership with Japan, led
resolutions at the HRC and the Third Committee to maintain
pressure on DPRK. The resolutions contained strong calls for
accountability and consideration of referral of the situation to
the International Criminal Court (ICC), to maintain momentum
and international focus after the COI report. These resolutions
26
were supplemented by a panel discussion on human rights at

the September HRC, and a tabled discussion at the UNSC in
December on the human rights situation, where the UK made
a strong statement condemning DPRK regime actions.
In March, the HRC voted to renew the mandate of the UN
Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran for 12 months.
The more detailed text on Iran in UNGA Third Committee set
out numerous human rights concerns, including the use of the
death penalty and harassment of journalists. The vote count in
both cases was tight, as success on the nuclear deal affected
the willingness of some states to make a stand on human
rights.
As part of the EU, the UK agreed strong consensual resolutions
on the human rights situation in Burma in both the HRC
and the Third Committee. Both were negotiated in close
co-operation with Burma and included concerns about the
Rohingya in Rakhine State and other minorities, whilst also
recognising the efforts to bring about reforms in some areas.
The HRC resolution renewed the mandate of the Special
Rapporteur for a further year and urged Burma to establish an
OHCHR country office with a full mandate. Additionally, at the
UKs request, the UNSC continued to follow developments in
Burma, including the human rights situation. This included four
briefings in 2015 by the UN Secretary-Generals (UNSG) Special
Adviser on Myanmar, at which ONCHR representatives were
also present.
There was international action on Ukraine in all three sessions
of the HRC. In March, the UK made a joint statement with
41 other states raising concerns about abuses by Russianbacked armed groups in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. This was
followed in June by the Ukrainian-led resolution on technical
assistance to Ukraine. This set up a quarterly discussion
on UN human rights reporting in Ukraine, which has since
documented Russian military involvement in the conflict, as
well as serious violations in Crimea and abuses by separatist
groups in Eastern Ukraine. In September, an interactive

dialogue on Ukraine showed Russia to be isolated, with many
states speaking out about abuses by separatists in the east,
and Russias continuing supply of weapons and fighters. The
UK joined 35 other countries in a statement on the human
rights situation in Crimea during the Third Committee session
in October.
In March, the UK worked closely with the Libyan government
and the African Group to agree a strong, consensual resolution,
which established a UN mission to investigate violations and
abuses of human rights in Libya and report back to the HRC on
how to ensure accountability. The OHCHR mission deployed
quickly and effectively, and is now complementing the work of
the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The HRC discussion
on Libya provided an opportunity to demonstrate wide support
for the political dialogue and the need for accountability to
ensure sustainable peace.
In June, the UKs priorities on Sudan (access for the
Independent Expert to the conflict areas, and language on
the need for accountability and reform of national security
legislation) were secured in a United States-negotiated
resolution. In September, the UK played a leading role in
securing a step change in the HRCs response to South Sudan,
despite significant resistance from the country and its allies.
A strong consensual resolution expressed deep concern at
the situation, called for accountability, and asked the High
Commissioner to send a mission to undertake a comprehensive
assessment. The inclusion of benchmarks against which the
government will be assessed will enable the international
community to increase pressure for change, and has laid the
foundation for any future HRC action.
The HRC agreed a resolution on Yemen in September 2015,
which the UK supported. This resolution tasked the UN to
report on human rights violations and abuses and to offer
assistance to Yemen to improve its human rights record.
UK candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council (HRC)

On the eve of Human Rights Day (10 December), the UK formally
launched its re-election campaign to the HRC for 2017-19. Our
pledges are based on UK priorities at home and abroad, and
where we assess we can use our membership to make progress
internationally:
1. strengthening the protection of human rights in the UNs
work, including by: encouraging a fast international response
to severe human rights violations and abuses, including in
support of conflict prevention; helping states through transition
by supporting stability and reform efforts on the ground; and
supporting a strong and independent UN human rights system;
2. translating the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development
into action that leaves no one behind, including by:
helping women and girls achieve voice, choice and control in
development (goal 5); tackling the scourge of modern slavery
across borders (goal 8.7); and supporting work on justice, rule
of law and open societies (goal 16);
3. making a stand for freedom of religion or belief, including
by: defending the freedom of people of all religions and
beliefs to live without discrimination and violence; supporting

persecuted Christians and other minorities in the Middle East;
and advocating in favour of equality and non-discrimination,
including on the grounds that freedom of religion or belief can
help to counter violent extremism;
4. working to end violence against women and to promote
their full participation and leadership in political and
economic life, including by: tackling violence against
women and girls, including sexual violence in conflict, and all
forms of domestic violence and harmful practices, including
during humanitarian crises; promoting womens economic
empowerment and the representation of women in political and
public life, especially in leadership positions; and challenging
discriminatory laws and practices;
5. working to promote open societies and challenge threats to
civil society, including by: promoting open societies, which are
inclusive and just; working to expand civil society engagement
with international organisations including the HRC; and
harnessing the Universal Periodic Review process to strengthen
safeguards for civil society in the states under review.
The UK played a prominent role in renewing UN mandates for

a number of other countries: Special Rapporteurs on Belarus,
Cambodia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC);
Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea; Independent Experts on
Somalia, Cote dIvoire and Central African Republic (CAR); and
OHCHR monitoring of Burundi. The UK also supported a crossregional statement on the human rights situation in Bahrain
in September 2015, and we raised our concerns on a range
of other country and thematic situations through our national
statements.
The HRC met for two Special Sessions in 2015, on Boko Haram
and Burundi.
Thematic issues
In 2015, the UK continued to participate in discussions across
the breadth of thematic issues considered by the HRC and
Third Committee.
The UK worked to ensure consensual outcomes were reached
on the two resolutions concerning religious freedom at the
HRC and Third Committee: Freedom of Religion or Belief (led
by the EU) and Combating Intolerance (led by the Organisation
of Islamic Co-operation). The focus of the EUs text was to
protect the right to freedom of religion of belief, whilst noting
the rise in religious extremism and condemning all violence in
the name of religion.
The issue of migration was prominent throughout 2015. A
special debate in the HRC on 15 June focused on the crises
in the Mediterranean and South East Asia. The HRC adopted
two resolutions by consensus on the situation of migrants in
transit and unaccompanied minors. The UK also supported
the UNs wider efforts to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis,
including through our support to the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees, where the UK remains the second biggest donor,
as well as supporting host communities in Jordan and Lebanon
through the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and other
agencies.
The UK strongly supported a Canadian-led resolution on
violence against women focused on ending domestic violence
a first for the HRC. It contained ground-breaking references
to intimate partner violence, marital rape and comprehensive
education on sexuality, which were challenged by a vote but
retained. The HRC also adopted a strong, action-oriented,
consensus resolution on ending discrimination against women
in cultural and family life. We will continue to promote
consensus on sensitive issues in UN fora; but also to support
voted action where necessary.
The UK and a large cross-regional group of states successfully
led the first substantive HRC resolution on Child and Early
Forced Marriage (CEFM), adopted by consensus. The text
encourages states to take concrete steps to prevent an
eliminate CEFM. It further strengthened language from UNGA
reaffirming the right of women and girls to decide on matters
related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive
health.
UK leadership on behalf of the EU enabled us to take a
principled stance against a regressive HRC resolution which
purported to seek protection of the family. In essence, this

was an anti-LGB&T initiative that did not recognise diverse
forms of family, and sought to place the family as a rightsholder on a par with individuals. The resolution had sufficient
support, but we led a successful effort to demonstrate crossregional opposition, working with Brazil, Uruguay and South
Africa. A South African-led motion to include mention of the
diversity of family structures was defeated by a single vote an
encouragingly close result.
On counter-terrorism, the UK worked to re-orientate a
contentious UN debate towards the primary responsibility
of states to protect and uphold human rights while fighting
terrorism. The UK continues to believe that all states should
respect international human rights and humanitarian law when
fighting terrorism and extremism.
Action in support of human rights defenders (HRDs) met
resistance in the Third Committee, with the African Group
tabling 39 hostile amendments to the draft resolution. This was
followed by Russia and China calling a vote, citing concerns
that HRDs were not clearly defined in legal terms, and did not
require additional protection. The resolution eventually passed,
with strong support from the UK and EU partners. More
widely, we remain concerned about an increasing trend in
some states to frustrate the work of HRDs.
The UK also remained a vocal supporter of the UNSGs Human
Rights Up Front Initiative. In December, the UK Permanent
Representative to the UN in New York joined the Deputy
Secretary General and High Commissioner in a panel discussion
on the important role the initiative can play in preventing
human rights violations and abuses in conflict.
Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

The UK is committed to the continuing success of the Universal
Periodic Review (UPR), whereby the human rights records of
UN member states are subject to peer review in a four-anda-half-year cycle. The UPR process examined 42 countries in
2015, including Belarus, Maldives, Burma, Libya and Rwanda.
The second cycle of the UPR process concludes in 2016. The
UK is working on plans to strengthen the third cycle.
Treaty Monitoring Bodies and Special Procedures

Experts from British civil society, who work independently of
the government, continued to play a prominent role while
serving on human rights treaty monitoring bodies. Professor Sir
Nigel Rodley chaired the Human Rights Committee; Professor
Sir Malcolm Evans continued as Chair of the Sub-Committee on
the Prevention of Torture; and Diane Mulligan OBE continued
in her expert capacity on the Committee on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities.
The UK underwent examination under the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in summer 2015.
The UKs report and concluding observations of the Committee
on Human Rights are available on the OHCHR website.
The UK extends a standing invitation to any UN Special
Procedures that wish to visit. In 2015, the UK welcomed the
UN Special Rapporteur on Truth, Justice and Reconciliation,
28
Countries reviewed
United Nations
The UK participated in all reviews, providing two recommendations to each country. Examples of
some UK recommendations are given below.
Universal
Periodic
Review
2015
Andorra
Georgia
Kiribati
Malawi
Oman
Spain
Armenia
Grenada
Kuwait
Maldives
Panama
Sweden
Australia
Guinea
Kyrgyzstan
Marshall Islands
Rwanda
Turkey
Austria
Guinea-Bissau
Laos
Mauritania
USA
Belarus
Guyana
Lebanon
Micronesia
Saint Kitts and

Nevis
Bulgaria
Honduras
Lesotho
Mongolia
Burma
Jamaica
Liberia
Nauru
Croatia
Kenya
Libya
Nepal
Saint Lucia
Sao Tome and
Principe
Belarus
Introduce a moratorium on the death
penalty as a first step to abolition.
Turkey
Implement legislation that increases
protection of the rights of persons belonging
to minority religious groups, including
the status of their places of worship.
Libya (Human Rights Priority Country)

Ensure all human rights violations, including
assassinations of journalists and human rights defenders,
are investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.
Burma (Human Rights Priority Country)

Urgently address the needs of the Rohingya
community by: guaranteeing security,
ensuring full humanitarian access across
Rakhine, removing restrictions on freedom
of movement, and establishing a pathway to
citizenship through a transparent and inclusive
process that meets international standards.
Rwanda
Ensure the civilian nature of refugee camps by
implementing its humanitarian obligations in
line with the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Maldives (Human Rights Priority Country)

Ensure the administration of justice is fully consistent
with international human rights standards and
to seek international technical assistance.
Malawi
Consider abolishing the death penalty, given that
there has been no execution since 1992 and
that death row cases are being reviewed.
Mr Pablo de Greiff. The report of his visit will be presented

to the HRC in September 2016. The UK also received a
number of unofficial visits by UN Special Rapporteurs in 2015,
including Philip Alston (Extreme Poverty), Michel Forst (HRDs)
and Christof Heyns (Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary
Executions).
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In September, the international community agreed the 2030
Agenda on Sustainable Development (SDGs), which will guide
global and national development action for the next 15 years.
The SDGs offer an important opportunity to advance human
rights, based on the principle of Leave No One Behind.
The SDGs differ from the predecessor Millennium Development
Goals in some key ways. They provide a universal agenda,
applying equally to developing and developed countries. The
SDG framework reflects human rights in substance, not just
form. The principle of Leave No One Behind promotes
equality and non-discrimination across all SDG goals and
targets. Alongside a wide range of social, economic and
environmental objectives, the SDGs embed transparency,
accountability, non-discrimination and participation. In
particular, Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality and
empower women and girls; and Goal 16 includes targets on

reducing violence, promoting the rule of law, access to justice,
transparent and accountable government and inclusive and
representative decision making, as well as ensuring access to
information and the protection of fundamental freedoms. In
2016, the challenge will be to start translating this political
commitment into action, and the UK looks forward to working
with a range of partners to do this.
Sanctions
Sanctions, such as arms embargoes, asset freezes and travel
bans, are one of the tools used by the international community
to promote human rights and democracy, particularly in
conflict and post-conflict situations. Targeted measures against
human rights abusers can be effective in either coercing a
change in the targets behaviour, constraining their ability to
continue that behaviour, or signalling disapproval as a way of
stigmatising and potentially isolating them. The UK is active on
the UNSC and within the EU to promote its policy of Smarter
Sanctions that are legally robust and effective in delivering our
human rights goals.
The UNSC and EU have established a number of sanctions
regimes that include measures targeting human rights abuses,
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond chairs the Council meeting on the situation in Somalia in November 2015
in countries such as CAR, DRC, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran,

Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. In 2015, the UK took action to
ensure that these measures were reviewed so that they remain
effective in supporting wider human rights work. For example,
several individuals were sanctioned under the UN and EU
sanctions on South Sudan for human rights violations, primarily
attacks on civilians. We also supported the imposition of EU
sanctions concerning the situation in Burundi, which included
measures targeting individuals responsible for serious human
rights violations.
Sanctions are also used to counter terrorist groups that
commit human rights abuses such as Al Qaeda and Daesh. In
2015, the UNSC responded to the growing terrorist threat by
adopting a series of resolutions, including new measures to
choke off financial support for Daesh, and a call for increased
co-operation between UN member states in the fight against
terrorism.
Europe
The European Union (EU)
The UK works through the EUs Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP) to amplify its work to promote and protect human
rights and democracy around the world. In partnership with
other EU member states, the European External Action Service
(EEAS) and the European Commission, the UK can increase its
impact on human rights. For example, the EU worked together
to encourage El Salvador to ratify the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court. Following a prolonged campaign,
and domestic developments, the Legislative Assembly of El
Salvador voted in favour of accession in November 2015.
Coordinating with the EU increases the UKs influence in
multilateral fora on a range of issues, such as mobilising
support for a global moratorium on the death penalty. Our
bilateral engagement about human rights with individual
countries, in public and in private, can also benefit when the
EU brings coordinated pressure to bear. When 28 Member
States speak out against the most serious violations of human
rights, it can help set the agenda at the UN (for example on
DPRK and Syria), and in other international organisations such
as the OSCE and Council of Europe (on issues such as Russias
conduct in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine).
EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy
On 20 July 2015, the EU Foreign Affairs Council adopted a
new Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy. The Action
Plan is an essential point of reference for the international
30
community. It sets out the steps that the EU will take to

promote human rights and democracy in all its external policies
until 2017. These include: support for strengthening local
institutions and justice systems; tackling threats to HRDs and
civil society; and addressing serious challenges such as torture,
the death penalty, womens rights, conflict prevention and
response, migration, and counter-terrorism.
The Action Plan has led to activity on many themes important
to the UK, such as a 1.2 million grant to the EU-Russia Civil
Society Forum, and projects in support of local governance
in Syria and grassroots initiatives to strengthening community
resilience against extremism. In Saudi Arabia, the regionally
accredited EU Delegation in Riyadh awards the Chaillot Prize
to civil society organisations and public or private institutions.
The prize rewards activities, campaigns and projects which
support human rights awareness, promotion and protection in
the Gulf countries of the Gulf Coooperation Council. In 2015
the prize winners were from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: the
Baladi Initiative, the Thulatha Cultural Forum and the lifetime
achievement of Ibrahim Al Mugaiteeb.
Since the adoption of the Action Plan, the EU has focused
increasingly on support for civil society. This has included
expressing concern about restrictions to freedom of peaceful
assembly and association in Cambodia, Russia and the DRC.
An important part of the Action Plan is the funding of
programmes by the European Instrument for Democracy and
Human Rights (EIDHR), which had a budget of 181 million in
2015. The new EU HRDs Mechanism announced in December
aligns well with the UKs own focus on HRDs.
A mid-term review of the Action Plan will be held in 2017[28].
EU Special Representative for Human Rights (EUSR)
The role of the EUSR is to contribute to the effectiveness and
visibility of the EUs external human rights policy, including
through dialogue with governments in third countries and
engagement with international organisations and civil society.
In 2015, the work of the current EUSR, Mr Stavros Lambrinidis,
did much to enhance the visibility of EU human rights policy
in his engagement with countries facing serious human rights
challenges and with countries that are influential partners
in multilateral fora. He led EU delegations in human rights
dialogues with Brazil, Burma, Mexico, South Africa, the
African Union and the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN), as well as in the EUs first human rights meeting with
Cuba (at which the two sides agreed in principle to continue
dialogue on an annual basis, and that the talks should cover
all human rights issues brought to the table by either side). He
made official visits to a number of other countries, including
Azerbaijan, Bahrain and China, where he expressed the
EUs concerns on a range of issues, including our readiness
to continue working with China to promote adherence to
international human rights obligations. The UKs own dialogue
with China on human rights informed the EUs approach, a
good example of how the EU Action Plan can be a multiplier
for our own human rights work.
[28] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pressreleases/2015/07/20-fac-human-rights/
In February 2015, the EU Foreign Affairs Council extended the

EUSRs mandate until 28 February 2017.
The EUs support to transitional justice
The EU seeks to prevent violations and abuses of human rights
throughout the world and, where these occur, to ensure that
victims have access to justice, and that those responsible are
held to account. On 16 November 2015, the EU Foreign Affairs
Council adopted a policy framework setting out how the EU
can engage in situations where past abuses have occurred,
using measures that promote justice, truth, reparations and
guarantees of non-recurrence[29].
EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy
On 22 June, the EU published its latest Annual Report on
Human Rights and Democracy in the World. The report
detailed the human rights work undertaken in 2014 by the
EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Federica Mogherini, the EUSR, and the network of 139 EU
Delegations around the world[30].
EU Enlargement
In the Western Balkans and Turkey, the EU accession process
and prospect of accession provides a powerful vehicle to
drive human rights reform and compliance. The UK continues
to support a conditions-based, firm-but-fair approach to
EU enlargement. In its 2015 Enlargement Strategy[31], the
European Commission made clear that all countries seeking
to join the EU faced major challenges with respect to the rule
of law. Fundamental rights were largely enshrined in national
legislations, but were not fully implemented. There was also
backsliding in the area of freedom of expression and media in
a number of countries.
In Albania, FCO projects continue to be delivered through
the Slynn Foundation to help strengthen the rule of law, as
well as work with the Albanian prison service to modernise
operations.British Embassy Tirana supports the only LGB&T
youth shelter in the Balkans. The Embassy also organised a
training event with the elite police corps of Tirana covering
diversity, hate crime and LGB&T rights.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has strong legislation in the field
of human rights, but selective implementation.There was,
however, important progress on the prevention of sexual
violence in conflict. Since June 2015, a series of landmark
rulings have established the right of survivors of sexual violence
to compensation, ordered payments by former soldiers and
recognised the right to compensation for the first male victim
of sexual violence in a court case in Bosnian history. Ethnic
minorities, the Roma population, persons with disabilities,
LGB&T persons, and other vulnerable groups still suffer from
discrimination.
[29]http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/11/16conclusions-on-eu-support-to-transitional-justice/
[30]http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/06/22fac-human-rights-report/
[31]http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2015/20151110_
strategy_paper_en.pdf
In Kosovo, the entry into force of the Stabilisation and

Association Agreement will provide an important framework
for international engagement on reform.The UK continues to
support a number of human rights-related projects in Kosovo.
In particular, we have worked with the Kosovo Rehabilitation
Centre for the Victims of Torture (to help improve care for
victims of sexual violence), which Baroness Anelay, FCO
Minister for Human Rights, visited last July. We continue to
fund secondees to the EUs rule of law mission (EULEX) and to
Kosovo institutions to strengthen the rule of law and minority
rights.
Macedonia faced a political crisis in 2015,with revelations
by the opposition indicating that the government engaged
in the systematic wiretapping of over 20,000 people. This
raised serious human rights and rule of law concerns. As a
consequence, the European Commission brokered a political
agreement in June 2015 to holdearly elections in 2016 and
accelerate rule of law reforms to get the country back on its
accession path.
For Montenegro, while there has been further progress on
fundamental rights, and improvement to the institutional
framework, enabling the protection and enforcement of
human rights, there is a continuing gap between legal
alignment and implementation. The UK has funded various
projects in Montenegro, primarily on fundamental rights
and justice. We supported a project combating disability
discrimination and the organisation of a Human Rights School.
The British Embassy supported Podgoricas Pride parade. The
UK also continues to work with Montenegrin judges on the
application of the European Convention on Human Rights.
In Serbia, the opening of accession negotiations provides an
important framework for international engagement on human
rights and rule of law. We welcomed the staging of Belgrade
Pride for the second consecutive year. The British Embassy
supported several human rights projects in Serbia, including
the establishment of a co-ordination mechanism between the
Ombudsman and civil society. The UK supported The National
Convention on European Union in Serbia (NCEU), a network
that brings together civil society organisations to enable
citizens to participate in and monitor Serbias EU accession
negotiations in respect of Judiciary and Fundamental Rights
and Justice, Freedom and Security.The UK also continued
to help the Serbian Judicial Academy develop its training
curriculum on European human rights law.
In 2016, the UK will, with like-minded partners, continue to use

international fora and processes to press for the strengthening
of human rights protections and the rule of law in the Western
Balkans and Turkey.
European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)
The ENP offers a privileged relationship to 16 of the EUs
neighbours in the east and the south. Human rights and
democracy are a core element of the policy. The EU uses both
hard and soft instruments, such as its economic influence
and financial aid, to promote political reforms in the countries
of its neighbourhood in order to build and consolidate
democracy, and establish and strengthen the rule of law
and respect for human rights. The EU links its support to the
level of democratic reform, offering more to those partners
who make progress, whilst reconsidering support where
reform is not forthcoming. In 2015, EU High Representative
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini,
announced that a review of the ENP would be a priority. The
UK strongly supported the review, and made clear it must take
a substantive look at how the EU and the ENP could become
more effective, flexible, and focused on delivering substantive
change in a wide range of partner countries.
Following the review, the EU will engage with all ENP partners
in inclusive dialogue on human rights and democracy issues.
Human rights and democracy will continue to be an agenda
item in the EUs political dialogue with all partners in mutually
agreed formats[33].
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

The OSCE recognises that human rights are an essential
element of security and the rules-based international system.
The UK strongly supports the work of the OSCEs institutions,
including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights (ODIHR), the Representative on Freedom of the Media
(RFOM), and the High Commissioner on National Minorities
(HCNM).Alongside this, we are committed to safeguarding
and enhancing the vital role that civil society plays in holding
OSCE-participating states to account, at a time when civil
society and free media are under severe pressure in a number
of OSCE countries.
Turkeys EU accession process provides a framework to deepen

and broaden democracy. The Commissions 2015 Progress
Report [32] recognised that the record general election turnout
was a sign of the strength of Turkish democracy. However, it
also identified significant backsliding on freedom of expression
and freedom of assembly and judicial independence. For 201516, the UK committed over 1.5 million to support human
rights and other projects aimed at promoting EU human rights
standards in Turkey. The UK also maintains links with NGOs
and HRDs.
The crisis in and around Ukraine continued to be the

predominant focus of the OSCEs work in 2015. ODIHR
undertook another large-scale election observation mission
(EOM) for the local elections in October. The UK helped to
ensure that ODIHR were able to assess the compliance of
these elections with international standards by funding the
deployment of 69 UK observers to the EOM (approximately
10% of the total). In September, ODIHR/HCNM issued a
joint human rights assessment mission report on Crimea.
The report identified widespread human rights violations and
discrimination, and played an important role in keeping the
international spotlight on the situation in illegally-annexed
Crimea.
[32]http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2015/20151110_
report_turkey.pdf
[33]http://www.eeas.europa.eu/top_stories/2015/181115_enp_review_
en.htm
32
We encouraged last years Serbian Chairmanship of the OSCE

to focus work on freedom of expression and freedom of
peaceful assembly and association.We are a strong supporter
of the work of the RFOM to protect media freedom, including
for example a confidence-building programme to bring
Ukrainian and Russian journalists together, and wider work
on the safety of journalists in OSCE states. We encouraged
Serbia to table draft OSCE Ministerial Decisions on these topics
and regret that a minority of participating states did not join
consensus on these or other human dimension decisions or
declarations at the annual meeting of the OSCE Ministerial
Council in Belgrade. However, we secured a strong statement
on Fundamental Freedoms supported by 44 of the 57 states.
Throughout 2015, we worked with like-minded partners to
support the work of the OSCEs institutions and to resist the
efforts of a small minority of participating states to restrict and
undermine them. We received a working visit to London by
ODIHR Director Michael Link in February, and the FCO Minister
for Europe, David Lidington, met the ODIHR Director and the
RFOM in the margins of the Ministerial Council meeting in
Belgrade.
Looking ahead, safeguarding the OSCEs institutions will remain
a high priority, in particular the institutions of RFOM and
HCNM, whose mandates expire in March 2016. We will work
with Germany as OSCE Chair for 2016 in its efforts to support
the institutions and to encourage enhanced participation by
civil society in OSCE events.
Council of Europe (CoE)

The UK uses its membership of the CoE to advance its human
rights objectives in Europe and beyond. It engages with
other member states and with CoE institutions to encourage
implementation of standards on human rights, democracy and
rule of law, to raise any concerns about developments, and to
support the CoEs provision of technical and other assistance.
Thorbjrn Jagland, the CoEs Secretary General, continues to
lead efforts to ensure that the CoEs standards are observed
across Europe, including in areas of potential vulnerability such
as Ukraine. He highlighted political, constitutional and human
rights situations of concern in various member states. These
included Russia and Azerbaijan where he launched an inquiry
under Article 52 of the European Convention on Human Rights
(ECHR) into the continued detention of political prisoner Ilgar
Mammadov Turkey, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova.
He also spoke out on issues such as corruption, human
trafficking, racism, discrimination, antisemitism, violence
against women, and LGB&T rights. His annual report on the
State of Democracy, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law in
Europe was adopted in May 2015, and led to a review of the
efficiency of justice systems in each of the 47 member states.
The CoEs Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muinieks,
continued to hold member states to account for human rights
failures, and focused much effort in 2015 on the promotion
and protection of the human rights of migrants and refugees.
The Venice Commission (the CoE advisory body on
constitutional matters) supported member states in addressing
a series of potential constitutional reforms, in Ukraine and

elsewhere.
European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
The UK continues to work for much-needed reform of the
ECtHR, implementing the 2012 Brighton Declaration adopted
by all CoE member states.
The UK ratified Protocol No. 15 on 15 May 2015. In
accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the High
Contracting Parties have the primary responsibility to secure
the rights and freedoms defined in the Convention and, in
doing so, they enjoy a margin of appreciation which is subject
to the supervisory jurisdiction of the Court. Protocol No.
15 to the ECHR gives effect to certain amendments to the
Convention agreed in the Brighton Declaration, notably the
inclusion in the Convention for the first time of references to
the principle of subsidiarity and the doctrine of the margin of
appreciation. So far Protocol 15 has been ratified by 11 states,
and signed by a further 29. Protocol 15 must be ratified by
all 47 States Parties to the Convention before it can come into
force.
The Courts case-load continues to be high, and its backlog of
pending cases stood at 64,850 by the end of 2015, although
the number of new cases allocated for consideration fell by
27%. Russia, together with Turkey, Ukraine, Romania and
Italy, has the largest number of cases before the ECtHR. In
2015, there were 575 applications against the UK allocated for
consideration by the Court. Out of these, the Court produced
judgments in 13 cases, finding no violation in nine of them.
This compares well with other similar-sized countries.
Committee of Ministers (CoM)
The CoM, comprising the governments of member states, is
the CoEs principal decision-making body. It discusses issues
of a political nature, and holds member states to account on
human rights, democracy and the rule of law, including by
supervising the implementation of ECtHR judgments.
In 2015, Ukraine dominated most country debates, although
the CoM also spent time discussing developments in Turkey,
Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. Thematic areas of
debate included freedom of assembly and association, and
freedom of expression with the CoE noting the strong
ground-swell of support for freedom of expression after
the Paris attacks of January and November 2015. The CoM
repeated condemnations of, and adopted declarations on,
executions carried out in the United States, Japan and Belarus.
In its supervisory role, during 2015, the CoMs focus included
cases involving journalists freedom of expression in Azerbaijan;
enforced disappearances in Chechnya; the operation of Latinscript schools in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of
Moldova; protestors for LGB&T rights in Russia; abductions and
illegal transfers from Russia to some Central Asian states; and
the inter-state Cyprus v Turkey case. UK cases debated included
those relating to Northern Ireland (McKerr); and prisoner voting
rights (Hirst), on which the Ministry of Justice has undertaken
to pursue an enhanced dialogue. Supervision of a significant
number of UK cases was closed.
The UK used all opportunities to hold Russia to account

over human rights and the rule of law. We supported the
Secretary-Generals statements on further restrictions placed
on civil society in Azerbaijan and expressed concern about the
relationships between Moscow and the breakaway regions in
Georgia, and the potential impact on human rights there.
The UK signed the Additional Protocol to the Convention on
combating terrorism, adopted at the May Ministerial meeting
in direct response to the January Paris attacks and threat posed
to member states by returning foreign fighters.
Commonwealth
The UK worked with Commonwealth partners to achieve a
greater degree of commitment to uphold the values enshrined
in the Commonwealth Charter.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM) in Malta in November was an opportunity to
remind Commonwealth members of their human rights
commitments. In meetings with other Commonwealth leaders,
the Prime Minister stressed that all countries should uphold the
Charter, which includes commitments to tolerance, respect,
understanding, moderation and freedom of religion or belief.
During a meeting with Heads of Government, the Prime
Minister pressed for the Commonwealth to show greater
tolerance and heal its divisions on LGB&T issues.
In the CHOGM communiqu, leaders resolved to promote
and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
including equality for women and girls. The UK played a key
role in drafting this ambitious communiqu, which provides
firm direction for the Commonwealth. The UK delegation
also worked with Commonwealth leaders in negotiating the
first ever Leaders Statement. In this, Heads of Government
recognised the economic potential that can be unlocked by
tackling discrimination and exclusion. Whilst in Malta, DFID
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Baroness Verma,
attended the first ever Commonwealth Womens Forum, and
also chaired a session on LGB&T issues at the pre-CHOGM
Peoples Forum. She urged the Commonwealth to do more to
defend LGB&T rights.
CHOGM saw the appointment of a new Commonwealth
Secretary-General. The Prime Minister welcomed the
election of Baroness Scotland, and supports her goal to unite
Commonwealth members behind the values of human rights,
democracy and the rule of law.
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC)
took the Chair of the Commonwealth Forum of National
Human Rights Institutions (CFNHRI) in November. The CFNHRI
plays an important role in enhancing respect for human
rights by member countries. The NIHRC is highly regarded
on the international stage, and well-placed to work with
Commonwealth members to ensure that they establish
National Human Rights Institutions which comply with the Paris
Principles. The FCO is providing financial support to the NIHRC
to fulfil this role.
UK continued to work closely with members of the
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) to ensure
that it was able to work to its strengthened mandate for the

protection of standards of governance and human rights.
We value the work of CMAG in helping ensure that countries
adhere to the Commonwealth Charter. In Malta, CMAG
voiced serious concerns over recent developments in Maldives,
which it agreed were deserving of formal consideration.
We welcomed this decision and believe it is vital for the
Commonwealths integrity that it acts to uphold the values and
principles of its Charter.
We will continue to work with the Commonwealth Secretariat
and all members to strengthen adherence to Commonwealth
values as we look ahead to hosting the next CHOGM in 2018.
We also look forward to collaborating with Baroness Scotland
on human rights issues in the Commonwealth.
International Criminal Justice System

The UK firmly believes that perpetrators of atrocities should
be held to account for their actions, and that victims should
see justice done. International justice does not stop with
punishing the perpetrators it goes further by helping
victims of atrocities and their communities to come to terms
with the past, starting the healing process and deterring
those who might otherwise commit such violations in the
future. International justice does not stop with punishing the
perpetrators it goes further by helping victims of atrocities
and their communities to come to terms with the past, starting
the healing process and deterring those who might otherwise
commit such violations in the future.
International justice does not stop with punishing the
perpetrators it goes further by helping victims of atrocities
and their communities to come to terms with the past, starting
the healing process and deterring those who might otherwise
commit such violations in the future.
In 2015, the UKs share of contributions to international
criminal tribunals comprised the following: 8.16 million to the
International Criminal Court; 1.8 million to the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY); and 3.6
million to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; and
2.08 million to the Residual Mechanism. The latter will take
on the essential functions of the ICTY and Rwanda tribunals as
they complete their work. The UK also contributed 1 million
in voluntary funding to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and
smaller voluntary amounts to the Extraordinary Chambers in
the Courts of Cambodia and the Residual Special Court for
Sierra Leone.
International Criminal Court (ICC)
The ICC in The Hague is the worlds first permanent
independent international criminal court with jurisdiction over
the most serious crimes of international concern.
At the end of 2015, there were nine situations before the
ICC: Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Darfur, Central
African Republic I, Kenya, Cote dIvoire, Libya, Central African
Republic II and Mali. In addition, there were eight preliminary
examinations: Afghanistan, Colombia, Nigeria, Georgia,
Guinea, Iraq, Ukraine and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
34
The annual ICC Assembly of States Parties (ASP) took place in

The Hague from 18-25 November. The focus was on enhanced
co-operation with States Parties and finalising a budget which
balanced the needs of the ICC and the financial constraints of
states. The UK government welcomed the appointment of
British nationals to the Board of the Trust Fund for Victims and
the Advisory Committee on Nominations of ICC Judges.
Other International Tribunals
The UK continued to support ICTY as it moves towards closure
at the end of 2017.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) finished
its judicial work in December. Its residual work (appeals,
witness protection, sentence enforcement etc) will be taken
forward by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals
(MICT).
The UK joined other donor states to secure UN funding for the
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) and
Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone (RSCSL) to supplement
voluntary donations. In addition, we continued to support the
RSCSL through the sentence enforcement in the UK of former
Liberian president Charles Taylor.
The UK continued to support the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
(STL).
International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
IHL is a body of law distinct from International Human Rights
Law. As codified in particular in the Geneva Conventions of
1949 and their Additional Protocols and, as also established
in customary international law, IHL regulates the conduct of
armed conflict.
The UK participated in the 32nd quadrennial International
Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in December
2015 in Geneva.The focus included tackling sexual violence
in conflict. The conference agreed a number of resolutions,
including a renewal of the Swiss/ICRC initiative to strengthen
mechanisms of compliance with IHL. The UK made a number
of pledges on actions we intend to take in coming years,
including jointly with the British Red Cross and our partners in
the EU and Commonwealth.
Baroness Anelay delivered an address[34] at the General Debate
of the International Conference. She also hosted an event
on sexual violence which explored linkages between work to
investigate such crimes in armed conflicts and non-conflict
settings such as humanitarian disasters.
[34]https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/foreign-office-minister-forhuman-rights-visits-geneva
CHAPTER IV: Human Rights Priority Countries

We have designated 30 Human Rights Priority Countries
(HRPCs) using the following criteria: the human rights situation
in the country; its human rights trajectory; and the UKs ability
to influence change.
Barring significant change, we expect these countries to
continue as HRPCs for the duration of this Parliament, which
will give greater strategic direction and consistency to our
human rights work.
This section contains our review of the human rights situation
in the 30 countries identified. However, this does not represent
an exhaustive list of countries where the UK will act on human
rights. Although the countries on which we report here will
remain our priorities for 2016 (and beyond), we continue
to engage with all other countries on human rights issues,
including through project work.
We will continue to report on developments in HPRCs online,
and raise our concerns about human rights issues wherever
and whenever they occur. Any human rights events that have
occurred in these countries after the cut-off point for this
report (31 December 2015) will be covered in the January-June
2016 updates, due to be published in July 2016.
Afghanistan
The overall human rights picture in 2015 remained poor. The
insurgency continues to be the biggest threat to the human
rights of all people in Afghanistan. A notable example was the
15-day occupation of Kunduz by Taliban forces in October. A
report from the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human
Rights[35] presented findings of arbitrary killings, abductions,
and violence, including threats and widespread criminality,
and the use of child fighters. The ongoing insurgency affected
access to education, health, and freedom of movement.
Taliban and Daesh affiliates actively targeted media outlets,
schools, and polio vaccine workers. Daesh affiliates were
reportedly responsible for sectarian attacks, including the
beheading of seven Hazara in Zabul in November. The UN
reported[36] on allegations of extra-judicial killings by the Afghan
national and local police in a number of provinces, including
Kandahar, Farah, and Herat. The report also noted a 14%
reduction in the use of torture and ill-treatment.
Against the background of insurgency and instability,
the Afghan government made significant human rights
commitments. On 5 September, through the Self Reliance
for Mutual Accountability Framework (SMAF)[37], the Afghan
government committed to improve womens access to justice;
to increase their participation in government; and to prepare
and implement laws on anti-harassment and the elimination

of violence. On 30 June, Afghanistan launched the National
Action Plan (NAP) for Women, Peace and Security[38]. The
government also worked to improve the number of women
in government by appointing four female cabinet ministers,
the first female Supreme Court Judge, and female Provincial
Governors in Daikundi and Ghor provinces.
Documented cases of violence against women have risen, with
5,132 cases reported to the Afghan Independent Human Rights
Commission (AIHRC)[39] including 241 murders. Strongly-held
conservative values contributed to slow progress, as illustrated
by the tragic murder of Farkhunda Malikzada, who was beaten
to death by a mob in Kabul on 19 March following false
accusations that she burnt a copy of the Quran. Four death
sentences were handed down for those involved, which were
later reduced to prison sentences ranging from 10-20 years.
In December, the UK, together with the UN Population
Fund and the Ministry of Public Health, launched support
for response services for women survivors of violence. This
complements existing Afghan programmes on womens
economic empowerment, education, security, and political
participation. Following recommendations by the Special
Electoral Reform Commission in December, we will continue to
press for electoral reform to enable postponed parliamentary
elections to take place.
In 2016, we will encourage the Afghan government to deliver
commitments made in the NAP and SMAF, including a new
priority programme for womens economic empowerment.
We will continue to take action to support the EU+ strategy for
human rights defenders (HRDs) to ensure that HRDs rights are
protected by state and non-state actors. We will also provide
financial support to the work of the AIHRC. The Brussels
Conference in October will allow the Afghan government to set
out progress made in delivering its reform plans, and for the
international community to set out the future size and scope of
its support.
Bahrain
Overall, there was progress on human rights in Bahrain
throughout 2015, although challenges remain. The government
of Bahrain continued to take steps to implement its human
rights and political reform agenda. The government also has
a programme of socio-economic reform to promote and
contribute to greater social inclusivity and cohesion across all
communities.
[35]http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.
aspx?NewsID=16876&LangID=E
The UKs package of technical assistance to support reform

in Bahrain began in 2012. Much of it has focused on building
effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the
[36]http://unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/old_dnn/UNAMA/
human%20rights/2015/UNAMA%20Detention%20Report%202015_revised.
pdf
[38]http://mfa.gov.af/en/news/afghanistans-national-action-plan-on-unscr1325-women-peace-and-security
[37]http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/000102254.pdf
[39]http://www.aihrc.org.af/
36
rule of law and police and justice reform, in line with the
recommendations in the Bahrain Independent Commission of
Inquiry (BICI) and UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This cooperation will continue in 2016.
strikes) impacted on peoples security and livelihoods. The

relatively peaceful and participatory Municipal Elections on 30
December, held on party lines for the first time, were a positive
development.
Beneficiaries of the UKs support include independent human

rights and oversight institutions such as the National Institution
of Human Rights (NIHR), Ministry of Interior Ombudsman,
Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission (PDRC) and
Special Investigations Unit (SIU), who provide independent
oversight of police behaviour and detention standards, and
were established as a result of BICI recommendations. Whilst
allegations of ill-treatment in detention continue, confidence
in these organisations is increasing, and they are working
more effectively. The NIHRs 2014 Annual Report, published
in December 2015, states that it registered 88 complaints. Of
these, 36 were upheld.
A rise in the number of extremist attacks against secularist

writers and religious minorities during 2015 increased pressure
on free speech, while the draft Foreign Donations Act risks
becoming a missed opportunity to improve the regulatory
regime for NGOs. Through its Human Rights and Democracy
Programme, the UK provided safety training to bloggers in
Bangladesh, and supported a review of the Information and
Communication Technology Act 2006 to bring it into line with
international standards.
The Ombudsmans Annual Report, published in June, includes

figures which indicate a 375% increase in the Ombudsmans
activity over the previous year. Although there has been no
official report into the 10 March Jau Prison riots, we welcome
the Ombudsmans pivotal role in investigating the causes of the
riots, the authorities response, and the aftermath (his having
received 196 requests for assistance from detainees relatives).
The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) has increasingly investigated
complaints of allegations of torture or ill-treatment. 70 police
officers have been charged with mistreatment and/or torture/
assault. In some cases, the SIU appealed lenient sentences
given to police officers, including the two found guilty in the
case against Fadel Abbas (reported in the BICI).
There are continued concerns regarding freedom of speech
and expression and peaceful assembly. Deprivation of
nationality is also an area of concern, and Bahrain is not a
signatory to either the 1954 or 1961 UN Conventions on
Statelessness. 206 Bahraini citizens had their nationality
revoked, with most of these individuals convicted of terrorismrelated crimes.
Despite a de facto moratorium on the death penalty, 14
people (including three in absentia) have been sentenced to
death by the Bahraini courts for their roles in the death of law
enforcement personnel. Five of these convictions have been
confirmed by the Supreme Court. We continue to raise our
concerns over the death penalty with the Bahraini government.
FCO Minister for the Middle East, Tobias Ellwood, hosted the
sixth UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group on 25 November, which
focused on reform and the UKs technical assistance.
Following its mid-term review in 2015, Bahrain will also
undergo its third UPR process in 2017.
An overloaded justice system and delays in processing

through the courts contributed to a culture of violence where
people take the law into their own hands. NGOs reported
that excessive use of force, extra-judicial killings and enforced
disappearances were conducted with impunity, while the
death penalty remained a legal punishment for a wide range
of offences. In 2015, at least five people were executed,
including three war criminals convicted by the International
Crimes Tribunal (ICT). NGOs continued to express concern
over the process and independence of the ICT. During 2015,
the Department for International Development contributed
3.7 million towards justice sector reform and 1.2 million for a
police reform programme in Bangladesh.
Women make a considerable contribution to the Bangladesh
economy; many are employed in the public service and the
ready-made garments sector. However, women still do not
enjoy the same social status as men, and gender-based
violence remains a substantial problem. Child marriage also
remains a significant concern.
Bangladesh has a growing economy and aspires to reach
middle-income status by 2021. We encourage the Bangladesh
authorities to ensure that this is matched by a positive human
rights trajectory during 2016 and beyond. Positive indicators
would include careful consideration of recommendations by
the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
when his report is released in 2016. We will also encourage
the government to engage constructively with the UN Human
Rights Committee when it reviews Bangladesh in October
2016. We remain clear that an effective justice system, and
a vibrant civil society and free media, able to challenge and
hold authority to account, are fundamental to a successful
democracy. Free, fair and participatory elections are also
crucial; we encourage all political parties to work towards
achieving this at the parliamentary elections in 2019.
Burma
Peoples Republic of Bangladesh
There was no improvement in the overall human rights
situation in Bangladesh in 2015. Tensions between the
two main political parties, the ruling Awami League and
the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), remain unresolved.
Confrontational actions during the first quarter of 2015,
including the arrest of senior BNP leaders, an indefinite
BNP-led transport blockade, and repeated hartals (labour
There was progress on human rights in Burma during 2015,

particularly in the areas of civil and political rights, but
significant challenges remain. The 8 November parliamentary
elections were an important milestone in Burmas democratic
transition. For the first time in over 50 years, the people
of Burma elected parliamentary representatives. Aung San
Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) won with a
substantial majority and a real mandate for further reform.
But, while the vote was peaceful, credible and competitive,

there were several flaws: the Rohingya community was
disenfranchised and prospective Muslim candidates were
disproportionately excluded.
In 2015, the democratic space for freedom of expression
and assembly contracted. March saw the violent break-up of
student protests, political prisoners continued to be charged
and detained and, as elections approached, there were a
succession of arrests following social media posts mocking the
military. Relations between Buddhist and Muslim communities
became increasingly tense and politicised with the passing of
four discriminatory Race and Religion laws. Instances of hate
speech and arrests on religion-based charges increased. More
positively, there were further discharges of child soldiers, and
the government ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of
the Child.
UK human rights priorities in 2015 centred on encouraging
credible elections as well as upholding political freedoms and
maintaining stability, including in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin
States. UK support helped the Union Election Commission
deliver a credible election with strengthened integrity
measures. UK funding also enabled the first systematic and
nationwide domestic observation effort in Burmas history. The
UK remained an important supporter of the peace process,
which saw substantive progress when the government
and eight of the 16 main ethnic armed groups signed the
Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in October. However,
fighting continued in Kokang and other parts of Shan and
Kachin States, with the associated lack of humanitarian access,
targeting of civilians, and acts of sexual violence. The UK
continued to press for improvements to the treatment of the
Rohingya community, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.
FCO Minister for Asia Pacific, Hugo Swire, visited Rakhine
for the second time in July. While there was no repeat of the
violence of 2012, there was no improvement in the situation
for the Rohingya in 2015. The ongoing dispute over citizenship
rights and desperate living conditions led to an increase in the
number of Rohingya leaving Burma by boat for other countries,
causing a regional refugee crisis in May and June.
April 2016 should see the historic transfer of power to a more
democratic and civilian government. Constitutionally the
military will, however, retain control of the key Ministries of
Defence, Borders and Home Affairs, controlling the police,
paramilitary groups and security forces, as well as the powerful
General Administration Department. The incoming NLD
government will face many serious challenges, not least in
the field of human rights. Our policy will be to support and
encourage the incoming administration across the whole
human rights agenda. In particular, we will support a longterm sustainable plan to address the political and development
issues in Rakhine and the plight of the Rohingya. We will also
seek to build on the gains made in the peace process in 2015,
encouraging the other armed groups to engage, and for all
parties to work towards a political dialogue.
Burundi
The human rights situation deteriorated in Burundi in 2015.
In July, President Nkurunziza ran for a third term, which
was widely considered, including in the region, to be
unconstitutional and against the Arusha Accords. This sparked
a coup attempt and a subsequent government crackdown. It
also marked the beginning of a downward trend in Burundis
human rights situation, which currently poses a threat to the
stability of the country and wider region.
Throughout 2015, there were reports of targeted killings,
arbitrary arrests, indiscriminate attacks, torture, enforced
disappearances, and violence against peaceful protestors,
carried out by the police, Service Nationale de Renseignements
(SNR Burundis intelligence agency), and Imbonerakure, the
ruling partys youth militia. The trend was extremely negative
on political space and media freedom. The government closed
down all private radio stations and only one private newspaper
was still operating at the end of 2015. The government
introduced strict controls on NGOs, including those promoting
human rights. Many opposition leaders fled the country and
are currently subject to arrest warrants.
The UKs human rights objectives in Burundi in 2015 were
to promote freedom of speech and assembly, and urge the
Burundian government to end the increasing violence by the
police, SNR, and Imbonerakure. We pressed the authorities to
allow civil society, including an independent media, to operate
without impediment. We have increased our support to the
thousands of refugees fleeing the situation, especially those in
Tanzania and Rwanda, where the Department for International
Development provided additional resources to humanitarian
organisations. We also urged the government to engage in
unconditional and inclusive dialogue, including with those who
opposed the Presidents third term. We supported engagement
by the UN, EU, African Union, and East African Community.
The Burundian government consistently blocked the efforts
of the international community, including the UK, to improve
the human rights situation. It used a series of bureaucratic
procedures to delay or block the deployment of international
human rights monitors, and refused to take the necessary steps
to establish a political dialogue that would end the cycle of
violence.
Looking to 2016, we are extremely concerned about the
possibility of further deterioration in the political, economic
and security situation in Burundi, additional displacement of
people, and increased human rights violations and abuses.
Recently there has been a small but significant increase in
reports of sexual violence. We are concerned that in attempts
to secure stability, the government will further constrain
human rights.The Burundian governments engagement in
unconditional and inclusive dialogue is essential. We remain
committed to assisting regional efforts to influence the
Burundian government in order to avert an even deeper crisis.
We continue to work with international partners, especially the
UN, to develop contingency plans to protect civilians, should
there be a dramatic deterioration in the security situation.
38
Central African Republic (CAR)

The overall human rights situation in CAR remained very poor
throughout 2015. Extra-judicial killings, kidnapping, banditry,
sexual violence, arbitrary detention, torture and the recruitment
of child soldiers continued. Inter-communal tensions remained
high throughout the year. Violence surged in September with a
spate of killings and the wanton destruction of many properties
across Bangui. This violence saw a backlash against enclaved
communities, with heightened tensions and obstructions to
their freedom of movement imposed by armed groups. More
than 60,000 cases of gender-based violence were reported
to humanitarian agencies in 2015. There were persistent
allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by UN,
African Union (AU), French and EU troops (see Chapter II).
The UKs key human rights objective in CAR in 2015 was
to secure an end to the impunity that encourages such
widespread abuse, through support to both security sector
reform and elections. To this end, we supported the EU Military
Advisory Mission, which provides the government of CAR with
expert advice to reform the military, and provided diplomatic
and financial support to the UN peacekeeping mission
(MINUSCA). UK aid also supported programmes addressing
the protection and health needs of victims of violence, and
aiming to prevent human rights abuse.
CAR made some limited progress during 2015. We welcomed
the passing of a law creating a Special Criminal Court, and
worked with CAR authorities and international partners to
support it. In a significant development, presidential elections
went ahead in a largely peaceful manner. However, human
rights continued to be violated in CAR on a regular basis, and
with impunity. Security sector reform has not significantly
progressed, constrained by lack of political engagement.
Allegations of SEA, committed by international peacekeeping
troops undermined the international communitys ability to
lead change. The ease with which armed groups move in the
ungoverned space outside Bangui and small arms proliferation
made it difficult for aid and remedial services to reach those
worst affected, or for international peacekeepers to be
effective.
The humanitarian situation in CAR continues to be a cause
for deep concern. More than 2.3 million people are in need
of humanitarian assistance, with 452,000 internally displaced
people and 451,100 CAR refugees in neighbouring countries.
The UK pledged an additional 7 million in humanitarian
assistance, bringing the total UK aid contribution for the year
to CAR and CAR refugees to 25 million. The UK remains one
of the largest humanitarian donors to CAR, providing 58
million through NGOs and international organisations to assist
CAR populations and CAR refugees since 2013. This money
has helped provide essential healthcare, food and livelihood
assistance, and protection to populations affected by the
conflict.
It is imperative that the unacceptable levels of human rights
violations and abuses in CAR are reduced during 2016. The
new President-elect and his government will be key to
reconciliation and the reintegration of refugees and internally
displaced people, as well as bringing an end to impunity,
while continued security sector reform will help strengthen
critical institutions. The peace-keeping mission MINUSCA

will need to play a critical role alongside CAR authorities to
address insecurity across the country. Successful legislative
elections and efforts to rebuild the judiciary will facilitate
progress. We will continue to work with the new government
and international partners to achieve these goals, including
by providing diplomatic and financial support through an EU
Mission to train CAR armed forces.
China
China continues to face significant human rights challenges,
but throughout 2015 improved social and economic rights, and
implemented reforms to strengthen the rule of law. The UK
supports these goals. We cooperated with China on projects in
priority areas including torture prevention, the death penalty,
womens rights, and civil society. We assess that our cooperation contributed to a reduction in the number of crimes
subject to the death penalty. We also believe it led to greater
legal protection for victims of domestic violence and rape.
In 2015 civil and political rights were subject to increasingly
tight restrictions and space for civil society was constrained.
There were restrictions on religious observance and cultural
expression by minorities. Online and media censorship
continued, with China reportedly jailing the largest number
of journalists worldwide in 2015. A number of civil society
organisations were closed, and EU nationals working in China
detained and expelled. New laws and regulations, including
National Security and Counter-Terrorism Laws, further
restricted freedom of expression. Hundreds of human rights
lawyers and associates were detained by Chinese authorities.
The handling of these individual cases, as well as those of other
human rights defenders (HRDs), such as Pu Zhiqiang, raised
questions over Chinas commitment to transparency and its
international human rights obligations.
Throughout 2015, the UK consistently raised its human rights
concerns with China, including at the highest levels. The UKChina Human Rights Dialogue remained an important channel
for relaying our concerns and exchanging views. The 2015
Dialogue focused on the role of the judiciary. We also acted on
cases of concern, including working closely with international
partners on specific cases. This was done through lobbying on
legislation (such as a draft Foreign NGO Management Law),
attempts to visit individuals under house arrest, attempts to
observe trials, and maintaining contact with HRDs. We raised
human rights in China at the UN Human Rights Council,
making clear our concerns over a crackdown against human
rights lawyers, including Wang Yu. We were particularly
concerned about the case of British citizen Mr Lee Po. As the
Foreign Secretary said in the most recent Six Monthly Report
on Hong Kong, our information indicates that Mr Lee was
involuntarily removed to mainland China from Hong Kong.This
case undermines the principle of One Country, Two Systems
which provides for Hong Kong residents to be protected by the
Hong Kong legal system.
Barriers to achieving our aims included Chinas reluctance to
accept meetings to discuss sensitive issues. Requests for human
rights monitoring visits to Tibet were refused.
In 2016, the governments stability maintenance policies look

set to continue. These are likely to target groups perceived as
disruptive. Many of those detained in 2015 may face further
legal action. Proposed laws on foreign NGO management
and cyber security may further restrict political space. We
will work with the grain of reform where we judge this will
yield meaningful progress, for example on rule of law. We
will continue to raise human rights issues through whichever
channel is most effective.
Colombia
There was mixed progress on the human rights situation
in Colombia in 2015, despite efforts by the government
of Colombia to improve it. President Santos took several
significant steps to address human rights issues as part of
the process to end the conflict between the government and
the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). On 23
September, a landmark deal was reached on transitional justice
and reparations for victims. In October, both sides agreed
an accord to trace disappeared victims of the conflict. On 15
December, agreement was reaffirmed to establish a truth
commission, reparations for victims, and punishment for war
criminals.
human rights objectives are to reduce impunity for human

rights violations and abuses, improve access to justice, and
support strong government institutions. Through prioritising
three issues the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI),
business and human rights, and HRDs the UK has made a
tangible difference. The UK helped Colombia draft its National
Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights, published in
December 2015. This is the first of its kind outside of Europe.
The UK continues to raise human rights concerns with the
Colombian government on a regular basis, including on specific
cases.
The peace process, which both sides are committed to
concluding in 2016, will further help the government
of Colombia to tackle human rights issues. The FARCs
unilateral ceasefire and the governments suspension of aerial
bombardments have reduced the intensity of hostilities.
However, there is concern that security could worsen on the
signing of a peace deal, as illegal armed groups and criminals
may fill the vacuum left by FARCs demobilisation. Threats to
land reform campaigners and HRDs may increase in the short
term. Underlying drivers of the conflict, such as inequality and
corruption, may lead to an increase in social protest.
For 2016, the UKs human rights priorities will include further
support for the post-conflict stage of the peace process. In
addition to comprehensive bilateral support, the UK is a
significant contributor to the UN Post-Conflict Trust Fund and
the EU Trust Fund for Colombia. The UK will also continue
working bilaterally on the priority areas of PSVI and HRDs, as
well as business and human rights.
Democratic Peoples Republic

of Korea (DPRK)
The human rights situation in the DPRK showed no sign of
improvement in 2015.
March opposing sexual violence in conflict and supporting survivors

organised by BE Bogotas partner organisation in Colombia
Corporacin Mujer Sigue Mis Pasos
The Land Restitution and Victims Law (2011) continues

to provide compensation for victims, although progress is
slow. Furthermore, in July, the government approved Law
1761, which categorises femicide as a separate crime and
increases the punishment to up to 50 years imprisonment. The
Presidential Adviser for Human Rights published a human rights
report in December after a five-year hiatus. However, human
rights violations and abuses across a number of sectors remain
a concern, including sexual violence, internal displacement,
forced disappearances, and targeting of human rights
defenders (HRDs). 63 HRDs were killed in 2015, a 13% increase
from 2014. Colombia also remains one of the countries in the
world with the highest levels of impunity.
The UK has been a strong supporter of Colombias
improvement on human rights issues. Our overarching
The DPRK government continued to reject the findings and

recommendations of the UN Commission of Inquiry report, and
to protest against resolutions passed by the UN Human Rights
Council (HRC) and UN Security Council (UNSC). It persisted in
rejecting serious engagement with the international community
and did not undertake any notable measures to improve the
domestic human rights situation. Whilst the DPRK accepted
114 recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
process, they declined discussions on their implementation
plans, despite the encouragement of the international
community.
In 2015, human rights remained one of our policy priorities for
the DPRK. We helped ensure the issue remained high on the
international communitys agenda, and raised concerns directly
with the DPRK authorities. We also supported small-scale
projects aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable groups in
the DPRK.
We worked to focus attention on the DPRKs human rights
record through international fora such as the UN General
Assembly, the UNSC and the HRC, where lobbying by the UK
government helped to secure strong resolutions. We also
supported the 14th session of the EU-DPRK political dialogue
40
held in Pyongyang in June 2015, where the EU side raised

human rights, including the use of prison camps, torture, and
the lack of freedom of expression and political freedoms.
We took every available opportunity in 2015 to raise our
serious concerns about DPRK human rights directly with the
DPRK government in London and Pyongyang. Senior FCO
officials met diplomats from the DPRK Embassy and visiting
senior DPRK officials. These meetings were used to reiterate
our concerns over the DPRKs failure to uphold its international
obligations.The British Embassy in Pyongyang repeatedly
raised our concerns on human rights directly with the DPRK
government.
In 2015, the FCO funded a number of projects aimed at
increasingawareness of international human rights standards
and improving the provision of equipment available to disabled
persons in the DPRK. We have also offered technical human
rights training for DPRK officials but, at the time of writing, the
DPRK authorities had yet to respond.
Human rights remain a priority for our DPRK policy in 2016.
We will continue to work with like-minded partners to urge the
DPRK government to accept the existence and extent of their
human rights violations, and to demonstrate a willingness to
take steps to address these issues for example, by agreeing
to a visit by the UN Special Rapporteur and other senior UN
officials.
We will maintain pressure on the DPRK through international
fora (such as the UN and EU), and look for ways in which
we can support the work of the UN Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights through its office in the
Republic of Korea. Alongside this, we will press the DPRK to
deliver on the UPR recommendations they have accepted, and
use bilateral and international engagement to keep pressure on
the DPRK.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

The human rights situation in the DRC deteriorated in 2015.
There was some progress on efforts to tackle sexual violence
but other human rights continued to be violated, especially
related to the electoral process. There were arbitrary arrests
and imprisonments, reports of torture of political activists,
attacks on freedom of speech, and extra-judicial killings by
state agents.
In 2015, the UKs human rights work in the DRC focused on
protecting political space and preventing sexual and genderbased violence. We worked to build long-term stability in the
east, through contributions to MONUSCO (UN Organisation
Stabilisation Mission in the DRC), the work of the Department
for International Development, and projects supported by the
Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.
We were concerned about the tightening of political space
during 2015. There were a number of arbitrary arrests of
journalists, civil society figures and human rights defenders
(HRDs). The British Embassy in Kinshasa monitors trials of
political detainees on a regular basis, and raises concerns at
the highest levels of the DRC government. We officially raised
the Filimbi activist case, involving young people arrested in
March and April 2015 at a workshop designed to encourage

Congolese youth to perform their civic duties peacefully.
The DRC government made some progress in addressing
impunity in the armed forces. In September the Military
High Court delivered its verdict upholding the conviction of
Colonel Mukalayi for the murder of HRD Floribert Chebeya. In
December, the National Assembly adopted legislation updating
the Military Penal Code, abolishing immunity for these crimes
for the Head of State and other government figures. However,
we are concerned that many in the security forces continue to
enjoy impunity for human rights violations.
We remain deeply concerned about the massacres in Beni, and
are supporting MONUSCO in preventing future incidences and
reducing human rights violations in the east of the country. We
are particularly disturbed by the recent escalation in NandeHutu ethnic conflict in North Kivu province.
The UK funds projects that help victims of sexual violence
in conflict to obtain justice. We are working with the DRC
government to encourage use of the International Protocol
on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in
Conflict by legal and medical practitioners. This work includes
translation of the International Protocol into Swahili and Lingala
to enable its effective use at a local level.
In 2016, the UK will continue to focus on political and
civil society space and abuses related to the forthcoming
Presidential elections. We will monitor arrests, detentions and
disappearances of opposition and civil society figures, and will
raise any concerns with the DRC government. We will continue
to encourage the DRC government to take concrete steps to
improve respect for human rights, particularly by taking action
against armed groups in the east. We will also continue our
work on the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative,
funding a number of grassroots projects and working
closely with Jeanine Mabunda, the DRC Presidents Personal
Representative on the Fight Against Sexual Violence and Child
Recruitment.
Egypt
In 2015, Egypt held parliamentary elections, completing the
final institutional stage on its road map for political transition.
At the same time, Egypt faced a significant terrorist threat,
resulting in at least 366 deaths (in addition to the attack on
the Metrojet aircraft that killed 224 people). Against this
background, the human rights situation remained poor and
continued to deteriorate.
Although 2015 saw pardons for a small number of prisoners,
Egypt continued to detain activists, journalists and protesters.
In February, 230 activists were sentenced to life imprisonment
in a mass trial in relation to protests in 2011. In May, former
President Mohamed Morsi was sentenced to death in a mass
trial with more than 100 others. Pre-trial detention periods
were long; photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid (Shawkan) has
been in pre-trial detention since August 2013.
In 2015, reports of torture, police brutality, and forced
disappearance increased. A local NGO documented reports of
676 cases of torture and 137 deaths in detention. The National
Council for Human Rights submitted a list of 191 alleged forced

disappearances to the Ministry of the Interior, which responded
that 99 of those on the list were in detention and 15 had been
released.
Restrictions on civil society further limited the ability of
NGOs to register, work and obtain funding, and a number
of prominent human rights defenders were banned from
travelling.
Restrictions on freedom of expression also increased. A new
counter-terrorism law banned publication of information about
terrorism that contradicts official statements. The number of
journalists jailed for their work rose to 23, according to the
Committee to Protect Journalists. Protester Shaimaa al-Sabbagh
was killed by police during a peaceful protest in January.
During 2015 we worked to support implementation of the
rights set out in Egypts new (2014) constitution. We did this
by:
>> raising concerns at senior levels about human rights and
our desire to see political reform, including during the
Prime Ministers meeting with President Sisi in November;
>> making public statements on issues of concern,
including the trial of Al Jazeera journalists and
the sentencing of political activists;
>> raising concerns about human rights in Egypt
in multilateral fora, including in our national
statements at the UN Human Rights Council and
during Egypts Universal Periodic Review (UPR);
>> funding projects promoting human rights and democracy
in Egypt, including those that supported womens
rights, freedom of expression and the Parliament;
>> raising the importance of freedom of religion or
belief with the Egyptian authorities, and promoting
religious dialogue, including by hosting a visit to
the UK by the Grand Imam of Al Azhar; and
>> deploying a gender adviser to Cairo in
support of work on womens rights.
In 2016, Parliament will be a key institution in implementing
constitutional rights and improving accountability. 2016
will also be an opportunity for Egypt to make progress on
recommendations accepted during its UPR. The UK will support
Egyptian government and civil society initiatives to improve the
human rights situation, by continuing to raise concerns both
in public and private, and through project funding. Our focus
will be on detentions of political activists, police abuses, and
restrictions on civil society. Improving the current trajectory is
fundamental to Egypts long-term stability.
Eritrea
In 2015, the human rights situation in Eritrea remained of
serious concern, although there were some limited signs of
progress. FCOs human rights priorities in Eritrea focused on
encouraging government action in three areas: to clarify,
and, where necessary, amend the terms and conditions of
prolonged national service (which is predominantly nonmilitary); to implement the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
recommendations that it accepted and look positively at
implementing those it did not; and to implement its own

constitution.
The government of Eritrea took some incremental steps
forward in 2015. It gave assurances to international partners
to limit national service to 18 months. We do not yet have
evidence that this has been implemented, and continue
to press Eritrea to fulfil its commitment. We welcomed,
however, the governments announcement in early 2016 that
it would increase salaries for all those performing national
service. Eritrea also increased its international engagement
on human rights by participation in the UPR process and
developing a stronger relationship with the UN Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The OHCHR
was allowed to conduct the first independent visit to a place
of detention since the late 2000s. We also welcomed Eritrea
joining the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in
November 2015. In January 2015, Eritrea released six journalists
who had been detained since 2009.
However, concerns remain. There have been no elections
in Eritrea since independence in 1993. Eritrea has not yet
implemented its 1997 constitution, though the government
reports that preparatory work on the drafting of a new
constitution is under way. Freedom of association and
expression continue to be severely constrained. Opposition
political parties and independent press are banned. Eritrea
remains at the bottom of the World Press Freedom Index for
the 8th consecutive year. Constraints on freedom of religion
or belief persist, and the rule of law and the judiciary remain
weak and liable to be circumvented through informal and
extra-judicial forms of justice. There remain numerous reports
of individuals who have been extra-judicially detained for long
periods of time for political reasons. We remain concerned
about the Eritrean governments approach to LGB&T issues.
Homosexual activity in Eritrea is still classed as illegal. Eritrea
declines to develop anti-discrimination legislation which would
provide protection for the LGB&T community.
Eritreas national service system remains one of the drivers of
migration from the country. Eritrea took part in the Valletta
Summit on Migration (11-12 November 2015) and continues to
engage with international partners through the African Union
/ EU Khartoum Process which looks to tackle forced migration
and human trafficking.
We continue to press Eritrea to take further steps on human
rights. In 2016, the UKs priorities in Eritrea will continue to be
to urge the Eritrean government to work on implementing the
constitution and to reform the national service system which
acts as a driver of migration. We will continue to support
Eritreas engagement with UN human rights bodies, and
encourage them to extend this co-operation to the UN Special
Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea, as well as the UN
Commission of Inquiry into human rights in Eritrea.
Iran
2015 saw the welcome engagement of Iran with the rulesbased international system, reaching a potentially historic
agreement that will impose strict limits and inspections on
Irans nuclear programme. However, Irans human rights
42
record continued to cause great concern. President Rouhani

pledged to improve the rights and freedoms of the citizens of
Iran when he was elected in 2013. He also promised reforms
on discrimination against women and members of ethnic
minorities, and on greater space for freedom of expression and
opinion. However, there has been little evidence of positive
change.
In some cases, the situation in Iran appears to have worsened.
The high number of executions is of particular concern. The
UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran believes that
between 966 and 1,025 people were executed in Iran in 2015,
a substantial increase on 2014 and the highest number in over
a decade. The majority of those executed were convicted of
drug-related offences. The majority of newspapers, TV and
radio are government-controlled, and the internet and social
media sites are heavily restricted. Journalists, bloggers and
human rights activists are regularly arrested and detained. In
November, over 170 individuals were arrested for messages
they published on social media apps.
Women do not enjoy the same rights and privileges as men
in Iran and continue to face discrimination. For example,
married women need the consent of their husbands to leave
the country and can be banned from travelling abroad if their
spouses do not sign the paperwork needed to obtain or renew
a passport. In September, one of Irans best female football
players, Niloufar Ardalan, was refused permission by her
husband to travel to Malaysia for a tournament.
While some religious minorities are formally protected in
the constitution, the reality is that many non-Muslims face
discrimination and attempts by Muslims to change their faith
may lead to criminal prosecution. For example, there are
regular reports of the arrest of members of Christian house
churches and in 2015 a number of Bahai-owned businesses
were reportedly closed by the authorities for observing nonsanctioned holy days.
Iraq
The human rights situation in Iraq remained of grave concern
during 2015. Daesh still controlled large areas in northern
and western Iraq and continued to commit atrocities against
all communities. Reports suggested an increase in sectarian
tensions and in allegations of abuses and violations committed
by government security forces (including the Iraqi Security
Forces (ISF), Kurdish Security Forces (KSF), Popular Mobilisation
Forces (PMF) and militias) as areas were liberated from Daesh.
The UN estimate that there are now over 3.3 million internally
displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq, and that as many as 10 million
people may be in need of humanitarian support (see Chapter
II).
The government of Iraq (GoI) has taken steps to address the
human rights situation. This includes agreeing the Emergency
National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Prime
Minister Abadi also reiterated commitments to holding to
account all those responsible for human rights abuses and
violations. Women and children, and religious and ethnic
minorities do, however, remain at increased risk of persecution.
The abolition of the positions of Minister of Human Rights
and Minister of Womens Affairs as part of Prime Minister
Abadis efforts to streamline the Iraqi government has created
further challenges, including the ongoing absence of a senior
governmental lead for womens affairs. Iraqi citizens continue
to face challenges accessing justice, and the rule of law remains
weak.
The UK helped secure adoption of the UN General Assembly

Third Committee Resolution on the human rights situation
in Iran. The UK co-sponsored the Canadian-led resolution,
assisting in drafting and agreeing the text. The resolution was
passed by 76 votes.
During 2015 we continued to engage with the GoI on human

rights issues, particularly combating violence against women
and girls, preventing sexual violence in conflict, and freedom
of religion or belief. Progress in all areas remains slow. The
GoI is still struggling with a legacy of sectarian policies, but
Prime Minister Abadi is working to promote reconciliation
and recognition of the rights of all communities. The UK
is supporting the GoI as part of the Global Coalition to
Counter Daesh[40]. Through the Department for International
Development (DFID)[41], we have provided 79.5 million to
support the international humanitarian effort. DFID has
deployed two technical experts to the UN to improve coordination of the humanitarian response and information
picture on sexual and gender-based violence. We are also
funding a project to support victims of sexual violence by
providing medical and psychosocial support and documenting
crimes of sexual violence. We are providing 750,000 to
support the implementation of the Iraqi National Action Plan
on Women, Peace and Security, and have funded a project
to promote freedom of religion or belief, by empowering
community and religious leaders to defend the religious
freedoms of all communities.
FCO Human Rights and Democracy Programme projects

supporting HRDs and creating platforms to support freedom
of expression helped strengthen the foundations for change
in country. We welcome the renewal of the mandate for the
UN Special Rapporteur in Iran. We will continue to support this
mandate and hope that Iran uses the opportunity to engage
with the UN.
Meaningful political reconciliation and reform remain critical

to uniting all Iraqs communities against extremism and
achieving long-term security, stability and prosperity. We will
continue to support the GoI as they work to deliver inclusive
governance for all Iraqis and realise their commitments to
improved human rights. We will focus on areas where the
UK has particular expertise and can add value. These include:
The UK continues to lead international efforts to encourage

Iran to improve its human rights record. We continue to raise
individual cases with the Iranian government, in addition to
concerning trends such as the increase in use of the death
penalty, juvenile executions, and continued persecution of
religious minorities. The UK has also helped to maintain the
listing of over 70 individuals under the Iran human rights
sanctions regime.
[40]https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/daesh
[41]https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/dfid-iraq
addressing weaknesses within the judicial system and building

judicial capacity; promoting legislative reform; preventing
sexual violence in conflict; promoting freedom of religion or
belief and minority rights; and working to build a sense of Iraqi
nationhood through cultural projects.
The State of Israel and The Occupied

Palestinian Territories (OPTs)
We remained seriously concerned about the human rights
situation in Israel and the OPTs in 2015. We were concerned by
the Israeli governments violation of international human rights
and humanitarian law in the context of Israels occupation
of the OPTs. We also had concerns about human rights
infringements by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and grave
concerns over those by Hamas in Gaza.
There was a marked increase in violence from October 2015
onwards, with attacks on Israelis, and clashes between
Palestinians and the Israeli security forces. This upsurge was
characterised by uncoordinated random stabbing attacks,
which the PA failed to condemn publicly. On 9 October, the
Foreign Secretary issued a statement [42] condemning the
violence. Some of the measures Israel introduced in response
(including punitive house demolitions, and restrictions on
movement and access) exacerbated existing human rights
concerns. Access to the Holy Sites in Jerusalem was restricted
on several occasions. We also had concerns about the
PAs approach to addressing the violence. For example, in
September, PA security forces used excessive force to disperse
a peaceful rally in Bethlehem.
Israeli demolitions of Palestinian structures resulted in the
displacement of at least 400 Palestinians in the West Bank and
East Jerusalem. The UK was deeply concerned by advancement
of existing settlement plans and legalisation of existing
settlement units. We continued to condemn publicly and
privately settlement expansion as illegal under international
law. We also continued to express our concern over settler
violence; for instance, on 31 July, FCO Minister for the Middle
East, Tobias Ellwood, condemned[43] the arson attack in Duma
that caused the death of three Palestinians, including a small
child.
The number of Palestinians Israel held in administrative
detention increased, with an average of 417 at any one
time. We continued to seek improvements in the treatment
of Palestinians in detention, notably children. The Israeli
authorities took some positive steps, including the use of
summonses in place of night-time arrests. We were also
concerned by continued reports of mistreatment towards
detainees by the Palestinian security forces in the West Bank.
We continued to have concerns about breaches of human
rights under Hamas, the de facto authorities in the Gaza Strip.
Nine death sentences were passed for criminal acts; journalists
were reportedly arrested and prevented from operating; and
Gazan police used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations.
[42]https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-condemnsviolence-in-israel-and-opts
[43]https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fco-minister-comments-onisraeli-settler-terror-attack-in-west-bank
We remained deeply concerned that Hamas and other militants

were re-arming, re-building tunnels, and running training
camps.
In 2016, we will support genuine efforts towards a negotiated
solution to the conflict. We will encourage the PA to make
progress on human rights, including on incitement. We will
continue to oppose any aspects of the Israeli occupation
that violate human rights and international law, including
demolitions and settlement construction. We will press for
further improvement in the treatment of child detainees;
maintenance of the status quo at al aram ash Shar f/Temple
Mount; and reconstruction and improved rights of movement
and access within Gaza.
Libya
Overall, the human rights situation worsened during 2015.
Reports by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) and NGOs, including Amnesty International[44] and
Human Rights Watch[45], documented that armed groups on
all sides disregarded civilians and committed violations and
abuses of human rights, including abductions, extra-judicial
executions, unlawful killings, torture, and other ill-treatment.
In most of the country, the judicial system broke down.
There were frequent reports of intimidation, detentions, and
assassinations of journalists and human rights defenders[46].
Street-fighting in Benghazi resulted in hundreds of casualties,
including civilians. In the south, hundreds were killed in tribal
clashes. Daesh committed atrocities including bomb attacks;
beheading Egyptian, Ethiopian and Eritrean Coptic Christians;
and executing local residents and Salafist Imams in territory
under their control. In May, the International Criminal Court
Prosecutor, Mrs Fatou Bensouda, reaffirmed to the UN Security
Council its continued jurisdiction over Rome Statute crimes in
Libya, including those committed by Daesh. There were grave
concerns over abuse of migrants[47] by militia groups as they
attempted to transit Libya.
The political and security crisis made it difficult to make
substantive progress on the ground. The UK proactively
supported the Libyan political dialogue, facilitated by the UN,
to end the conflict and establish a unified Government of
National Accord (GNA). The UK and UNSMIL co-chaired an
international meeting in London on 19 October to agree the
most effective ways to support a new GNA. The UK welcomed
local peace initiatives[48], including ceasefires, prisoner
exchanges, and the return of internally displaced persons.
[44]https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/02/libya-mountingevidence-war-crimes-after-egypt-airstrikes/
[45]https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/02/24/libya/egypt-civilian-toll-dernaair-strikes
[46]http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/LY/
HumanRightsDefendersLibya.pdf
[47]https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde19/1578/2015/en/
[48]http://unsmil.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3561&ctl=Details&mid
=8549&ItemID=2099411&language=en-US
44
The UK co-sponsored an African Group resolution[49] at the

28th UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, adopted
with overwhelming support on 27 March 2015. It established
an OHCHR mission to investigate violations and abuses with
a view to ensuring accountability. In her closing statement [50]
at the HRC, FCO Minister for Human Rights, Baroness Anelay,
highlighted the serious human rights situation, and the urgent
need for a political resolution. While the Libyan delegation
engaged constructively with the Universal Periodic Review at
the HRC in September, the UK noted with concern the limited
capacity for investigating human rights violations and bringing
perpetrators to justice.
The UK welcomed[51] the signing on 17 December 2015 of
the Libyan Political Agreement in Skhirat, Morocco, for the
establishment of a GNA. In 2016, we will continue to play an
active role and encourage the Libyan parties to implement the
agreement in full and ensure that, as Libyan state authority
is re-established across national territory, respect for human
rights is considered as an important part of re-building
governance. We have re-focused our support to Libya on
political participation programmes, including providing expert
advice to the Constitutional Drafting Assembly; supporting
various womens civil society organisations to advocate for
womens rights in the constitution drafting process; and
supporting civil society organisations involved in transitional
justice issues in Libya, including the mapping of human rights
abuses.
Republic of Maldives
unchallenged impeachment of Mr Adeeb, making him the

second Vice President to be impeached in a six-month period.
Throughout the year, various regulations were introduced
which restricted democratic space. The Home Ministry insisted
NGOs seek permission before receiving foreign funding; this
hampered their ability to function independently. At the end
of November, the Home Minister announced a ban on street
protests, stating that they should take place in confined public
spaces. This raised serious questions about the ability to
exercise freedom of assembly and free speech. The Supreme
Court, in a move to centralise and consolidate power, took the
responsibility for regulating lawyers away from the Attorney
General. We do not believe that the concerns in a report
in 2013 by the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of
Judges and Lawyers have been addressed, including on the
fact that many interventions by courts were arbitrary, and that
due process was not being followed. The Anti-Terrorism Act,
introduced in November, gave the government unfettered
power to monitor people.
The UK was at the forefront of international efforts to
encourage Maldives to improve its human rights record.
On 30 November, following the Commonwealth Heads of
Government meeting in Malta, the Prime Minister welcomed
the conclusion of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group
that Maldives were worthy of formal consideration. He said,
the Commonwealth has an important role to play in helping
its members adhere to its values. The FCOs Minister for Asia,
Hugo Swire, and FCO officials regularly raised our human rights
concerns with senior government officials.
In 2015, the human rights situation in Maldives deteriorated,

with a sustained decline in democracy and judicial
independence as President Yameens government tightened
its grip on power. Political and civil freedoms were eroded,
opposition and some government figures were arbitrarily
arrested, the press resorted to self-censorship, and there
were worrying moves to re-introduce the death penalty after
a moratorium of more than 60 years. Growing religious
conservatism was also a cause for concern.
In 2016, we will continue to remind Maldives of its

commitment to protect human rights, using both quiet
diplomacy and public messaging. We will also use coordinated
international engagement to push for greater political plurality
and inclusion; the protection of fundamental freedoms of
expression and assembly; the independence of the judiciary;
and the reversal of moves to reintroduce the death penalty. The
Commonwealth, EU and UN will be important partners.
In February, former President Nasheed was sentenced to

13 years on charges of terrorism following a trial that was
internationally condemned. By the end of 2015, all opposition
party leaders were in prison, detained, or in self-imposed exile.
Pakistan
In October, former Vice President Adeeb was detained:

the eleventh senior government official to be arrested
or dismissed since President Yameen came to power in
November 2013. A few weeks later, the government declared
a State of Emergency. It lasted six days and a number of
basic constitutional rights, including the right to peaceful
assembly, were suspended. The suspension of parliamentary
process during the State of Emergency enabled the swift and
[49]http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session28/
Pages/ResDecStat.aspx
[50]https://www.gov.uk/government/news/baroness-anelay-on-conclusionof-un-human-rights-council
[51]https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-responds-to-libyan-politicalagreement
Serious human rights concerns persisted in 2015. Following

the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar,
Pakistan lifted the de facto moratorium on the death penalty,
first in December 2014 for terrorist offences, then in March
2015 for all capital crimes.
Throughout the year, over 325 people were executed, with an
estimated 8,000 on death row. There were serious concerns
over Pakistans use of the death penalty, including fair trial
issues and the execution of persons who were alleged to have
been minors at the time of the offence. The Peshawar attack
also prompted a constitutional amendment to enable military
courts to try civilian terrorist cases. There is little information
on these courts and no access to proceedings, making it
impossible to assess their compliance with international
obligations.The operating space for domestic and international
NGOs narrowed considerably, driven in a large part by
uncertainty over registration. This impeded their work and is
yet to be resolved. Sectarian attacks continued but, relative to

2014, their intensity decreased in the last six months of 2015.
Ahmadiyya, Shia, Hazara, Christian, Hindu and Sikh minority
communities continued to suffer discrimination and targeted
violence. As in previous years, the blasphemy laws were
misused to the detriment of Muslims and non-Muslims. The
government of Pakistan took some steps to develop institutions
mandated to increase compliance with international human
rights standards, including finally establishing the National
Commission for Human Rights.
FCO human rights objectives in 2015 for Pakistan focused on
the death penalty, freedom of religion or belief, the promotion
of the rule of law, and womens rights. At the highest level,
the UK made clear to Pakistan its opposition to the death
penalty. We urged Pakistan to reinstate the moratorium
and comply with international commitments. FCO Ministers
repeatedly expressed concerns about violations of freedom
of religion or belief and encouraged Pakistan to reform its
blasphemy laws. In Pakistan, British High Commission support
for criminal justice reform was extensive, provided through
programmes to improve civilian capacity to investigate,
prosecute and convict criminals, including terrorists, in line with
international standards.
Pakistan remained a priority for UK development assistance,
with programmes designed to improve human rights. Within
the framework of the EUs Generalised Scheme of Preferences
Plus (GSP+), which promotes economic development and
compliance with 27 international conventions (including seven
human rights conventions), the EU completed its biennial
assessment of Pakistans progress.During the review period,
Pakistan launched a Treaty Implementation Cell and roadmap.
In 2016, Pakistan can take further steps to ensure international
commitments and constitutional provisions to safeguard
human rights are honoured in practice. These include
reinstatement of the death penalty moratorium, reform of the
blasphemy law and discriminatory legislation, and action to
empower women. Progress on judicial reform should enable
the Pakistani authorities to respect the January 2017 sunset
clause on the use of military courts to try terrorist suspects.
GSP+ has helped to establish a framework for monitoring
compliance with human rights commitments. With adequate
political will, in 2016 that architecture can help drive tangible
human rights improvements in practice.
Russia
The human rights environment in Russia continued to
deteriorate in 2015.
The rule of law remained inconsistent and arbitrarily applied.
The UK expressed serious concern publicly and to the Russian
authorities about a number of judicial cases, including those
of Ukrainian nationals Nadiya Savchenko, Oleg Sentsov and
Oleksandr Kolchenko. Representatives of the British Embassy
in Moscow observed hearings in these and other cases.
The space for civil society shrank further with the enforcement
of restrictive legislation, notably the so-called foreign
agents and undesirable organisations laws, which have
the effect of depriving NGOs of vital funding and subjecting

them to unreasonably burdensome reporting requirements
and disproportionate sanctions, up to and including closure.
During the course of 2015, 81 Russian NGOs were added to
the foreign agents register, 13 chose to close down, and four
foreign organisations were labelled undesirable. The UK is
deeply concerned about this crackdown on civil society.
Freedom of expression remained under pressure. Statecontrolled media, particularly television, overwhelmingly
emphasised a pro-government narrative. Although space for
independent media continued to exist, most notably online,
a small number of individuals faced criminal prosecution
for posting critical comments. A number of independent
journalists reported that they had experienced harassment,
particularly in the North Caucasus region.
The UKs human rights work in Russia during 2015 focused
on five priority themes: civil society and democracy; equality
and non-discrimination; rule of law; the North Caucasus; and
freedom of expression. We supported a range of projects
within these broad themes, including on LGB&T rights,
disability rights, and media freedom. We raised our concerns
about human rights regularly, including at senior official and
ministerial level. In December, the FCO Minister for Europe,
David Lidington, met leading Russian human rights defenders
(HRDs) in Moscow, and raised our concerns during his meeting
with First Deputy Foreign Minister Titov.
Recent legislation makes it more difficult for the international
community to support human rights organisations in Russia.
We judge it unlikely that the situation will improve in 2016,
and anticipate increasing pressure on government critics as the
Duma (parliamentary) elections in September 2016 approach.
Nevertheless, the UK will continue to support the promotion
and protection of human rights in Russia. In meetings with
the Russian government and through our project funding, we
will strive to highlight the vital contribution made by HRDs and
independent journalists. We will attend trials when we have
concerns that justice is not being served, and we will speak out
when we believe rights are at risk. We will continue to work
with EU partners and through multilateral organisations such
as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe,
the Council of Europe, and the UN to keep the spotlight on
Russias deteriorating human rights situation, thus maintaining
pressure on the Russian authorities to implement international
human rights commitments. The UK will continue to offer
practical support to those people working in increasingly
difficult circumstances for the rights of all.
Russian Actions in Ukraine
Russias actions in Ukraine led to a severe deterioration in the
human rights situation in both Donbas and Crimea in 2015.
In the areas under Russian-backed separatist control in Donbas,
the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) continued to report killings, torture and other illtreatment, illegal detention, and forced labour during 2015.
Also deeply concerning are details of increasingrestrictions
being placed on civil society.
46
Following Russias illegal annexation of Crimea, the human

rights situation continued to deteriorate through 2015. Arrests,
torture and other ill treatment, and intimidation against
political opponents and minorities persisted, particularly the
Crimean Tatar community, with the knowledge or participation
of law enforcement or other affiliated groups. Crimean Tatar
institutions and organisations were increasingly branded as
extremist and members arrested as terrorists. Access to
international monitoring agencies continued to be denied.
Throughout 2015, the UK continued to call on Russia
and Russian-backed separatists to respect international
law and allow unimpeded access to international human
rights monitoring agencies. We also continued to push for
independent investigations into all serious allegations of human
rights violations and abuses. Without improved access for
international monitoring agencies and proper accountability
for human rights violations and abuses, there is little prospect
of the human rights situation improving in Donbas and Crimea
during 2016.
Saudi Arabia
Throughout 2015, the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia
remained of concern, though there were incremental steps to
improve womens rights.
In 2015, the UK continued to support the expansion of
womens rights in Saudi Arabia. We welcomed the fact that
the municipal elections of 12 December 2015 were the first
in which women were able to stand for election and vote. In
total, 38 women are now represented in municipal councils.
The elections were monitored by the Saudi Arabian National
Society for Human Rights, which declared them free and
fair. However, we remain concerned about the inability of
women to participate equally in society. Many of the barriers
are cultural. We worked with a range of opinion-formers and
activists to challenge entrenched attitudes and support those
seeking to change them.
There was a continuing negative trend in the number of
executions. In 2015, 158 people were executed, up from
90 in 2014. Part of the reason for this was the conclusion of
a significant number of long-running legal cases. The UK,
together with the EU, was vocal in our opposition to the
death penalty, particularly in response to the execution of 47
people on 2 January 2016. We assess that, since the principle
of the death penalty is enshrined in Saudi Arabias Sharia law,
abolition is unlikely in the near future. We continue to focus
our efforts on reducing the number of death sentences and
executions, including by encouraging Saudi Arabia to apply
the minimum standards contained in the EU guidelines on
the death penalty. In 2015 we regularly raised the cases of Ali
al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher. All three
were convicted of crimes committed when they were juveniles,
although under Saudi Law they are considered to have been
adult at the time.
In 2015, the UK and the EU continued to support freedom of
expression, including in relation to the cases of Raif Badawi,
Ashraf Fayadh and other human rights defenders. We raised
these cases privately with the Saudi authorities. We continue
to believe that raising issues in private is the most effective way

of effecting change in this context.
In 2016, we will continue to focus on the application of the
death penalty when not consistent with international minimum
standards. We will continue to raise specific cases at a senior
level with the Saudi Arabian authorities, and continue to follow
closely cases relating to freedom of religion or belief, and
freedom of expression.
We will also continue to look for opportunities to work with
the government of Saudi Arabia and NGOs to encourage
further steps towards allowing women to participate equally in
society.
Somalia
2015 was another year of serious concern for human rights in
Somalia. Civilians continue to be killed, wounded and displaced
by indiscriminate attacks and violations committed by various
sides in the ongoing internal conflict. Sexual and gender-based
violence (SGBV) is endemic and access to justice is severely
restricted, if not completely unattainable, for many of Somalias
most vulnerable people. The death penalty continues to be
carried out, despite previous support at the UN by the Federal
Government of Somalia (FGS) for establishing a moratorium.
Attacks on freedom of expression are on the increase, with
the Committee to Protect Journalists annual Impunity Index [52]
recently naming Somalia, for the first time, as the worst place
in the world to be a journalist. Concerns have also been raised
over the recently adopted Media Law, which, depending on its
implementation, could see the freedom of journalists further
restricted.
Somalias broad human rights problems are underpinned by
impunity, resulting from a lack of capacity to monitor and
gather information, and to report, investigate and prosecute
violations when they occur.
Though lacking capacity to effect wholesale improvement, the
FGS continued to demonstrate a commitment to improving
human rights throughout 2015. In May, the FGS endorsed
an Action Plan for their Human Rights Road Map. Bills on
establishing an independent human rights commission and
on sexual offences made progress in Parliament. Somalia also
increased its engagement with international human rights
instruments by ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the
Child in October.
In 2015, the FCOs human rights priorities in Somalia focused
on addressing wider security and impunity; establishing
effective human rights institutions and instruments; and
empowering women. In 2015, the FCO funded five technical
advisers to increase the capacity of the Ministry of Women
and Human Rights Development to deliver its action plans,
and provided support to a preventing sexual violence
programme in Mogadishu. Given the deep-rooted nature of
Somalias human rights issues, the FCOs objectives are long
term. Assessing whether the objectives are having a tangible
impact upon human rights in Somalia will therefore take time.
[52]https://www.cpj.org/reports/2015/10/impunity-index-getting-awaywith-murder.php
However, in the short term, the FCO will continue to focus on

helping to build the foundation for long-term human rights
protection.
2016 will be a pivotal year in Somalias journey towards
stability. The countrys upcoming elections offer fresh
opportunities for greater inclusion of women in decisionmaking processes. Federal and regional leaders have
committed to a gender quota in both Houses of Parliament.
Ensuring this happens in practice will be a FCO priority in 2016.
Somalias electoral process will, however, consume much of
the countrys limited capacity, potentially diverting attention
from human rights commitments. A desire for a smooth
electoral process may also see freedom of expression come
under increasing pressure. The FCO will continue to encourage
and support Somalia to fulfil and deliver upon its national and
international human rights commitments throughout 2016.
South Sudan
The human rights situation in South Sudan deteriorated
further during 2015. Both government and opposition forces
continued to breach previous commitments to end hostilities,
and widespread fighting resumed in April and May. While
a peace agreement was signed in August, serious human
rights violations and abuses, and breaches of international
humanitarian law continued to be recorded, the majority of
which were reportedly committed by government-backed
forces. Sexual violence remained a significant concern and was
reported in areas previously unaffected by conflict in the south.
Gang rapes coupled with beatings and abductions of women
were reportedly perpetrated by government-backed forces.
Despite international pressure, there was little or no follow-up
on long-awaited government investigations into human rights
violations and abuses. The rights of the child continued to be
violated with reports indicating the use of child soldiers by
both sides.
The African Union Commission of Inquiry (AU-COI) report was
published in October and found that there were reasonable
grounds to believe that crimes against humanity and war
crimes had been committed by all sides. A mission by the UN
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights undertook
a comprehensive assessment of the situation and reported
sexual violence had taken place throughout 2015. Civil and
political space was severely restricted. The 2014 Security Bill
gave the National Security Services enhanced powers to arrest
and detain. Arrests, beatings and assaults on journalists and
the closure of newspapers were reported throughout the year.
The UKs key human rights objectives in 2015 centred on
conflict prevention, preventing sexual violence, and protecting
political space. We took action in all these areas during the
year. We played a significant and sustained role in helping
to secure the peace agreement and continued to lobby both
sides to advance implementation. With our Troika partners
(the United States and Norway) we encouraged publication of
the AU-COI report and have been active in calling for followup. South Sudan remained a priority country for the UKs
Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). We
provided support at the grassroots level, as well as pressing the
government to fulfil the commitments it had made in the 2014
Joint UN Communiqu on the Prevention of Conflict-Related

Sexual Violence. Internationally, we successfully pressed for
a strong resolution on South Sudan at the UN Human Rights
Council (HRC). The Prime Minister also announced the UK
would send up to 300 troops to South Sudan to support the
UN peacekeeping mission.
Our priorities in 2016 will be to ensure the peace agreement
is implemented, starting with the formation of the Transitional
Government of National Unity. We will continue to press for
action on human rights, support human rights organisations,
and take a lead on PSVI. We will encourage the AU to establish
the Hybrid Court for South Sudan so that perpetrators of
abuses can be held to account. At the HRC we will press for a
UN Special Rapporteur to be appointed.
Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka
There was an improvement in the overall human rights
situation in Sri Lanka in 2015, although some concerns
remain. Reversing the downward trend of recent years,
the government of Sri Lanka took positive steps to improve
freedom of expression (including the media) and freedom
of movement, reduce inter-community tensions, and restore
the independence of institutions such as the Human Rights
Commission. The government also signalled its willingness to
address long-standing allegations of past human rights abuses
and violations, co-sponsoring a resolution in the UN Human
Rights Council (HRC) in October committing it to reconciliation,
accountability and the protection of human rights. In a positive
change of approach, the government engaged constructively
with the international community, including with the UN Office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and
other UN bodies.
In 2015, the UK worked to encourage and support the
governments reform process. The UK lobbied for progress
on key issues such as the return of military-occupied land,
the lifting of bans on Tamil diaspora organisations, and the
release of long-term detainees held without charge under
the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The UK was a strong
advocate for the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) and
instrumental in the adoption of the HRC resolution in which
the OISL recommendations were reflected. We supported
this political effort through targeted funding that supported
domestic monitoring efforts and increased participation
for parliamentary elections in August. We also worked to
improve police standards and police-community relations, and
promoted interfaith dialogues across the country.
Some of these positive changes are less apparent in the
north and east. Human rights defenders continued to report
harassment and surveillance in 2015, a point raised by the UN
Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances
during their visit in November. The OISL report also highlighted
a number of human rights concerns that still remain, including
continued reports of torture, and sexual and gender-based
violence. The UK has urged the government to investigate
these and other allegations of human rights violations, and will
continue to push for progress in these areas.
48
In 2016, we expect the positive trajectory to continue. This is

a moment of opportunity for Sri Lanka, and the international
community has an important role to play. The OHCHR will
present its assessment of progress on implementation of its
recommendations at the HRCs 32nd session in June. We will
continue to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver on its
commitments to the HRC, and to make early progress to build
wider support for its efforts to address accountability. The
Prime Minister has pledged 6.6m over the next three years to
continue our support for reconciliation and human rights. Our
work with the government of Sri Lanka will aim to continue
strengthening democracy and the rule of law, and reform the
security sector, sharing UK experience and expertise.
Sudan
Overall there was no significant improvement in the human
rights situation in Sudan during 2015. Ceasefires later in
the year led to less fighting compared to previous years.
However, ongoing conflicts in Darfur, South Kordofan and
Blue Nile continued, with human rights violations/ abuses and
international humanitarian law violations by all parties the
majority by the government of Sudan. Humanitarian access
continued to be severely restricted, and aerial bombardments
by government forces continued. By the end of 2015, there
were over 100,000 newly displaced people in Darfur and 3.2
million long-term displaced nationwide. Whilst freedom of
expression increased slightly around the launch of Sudans
National Dialogue, this followed earlier detentions of
opposition politicians and record levels of newspaper seizures.
Sudan ranks 174th out of 180 on the Reporters Without
Borders World Press Freedom Index. Freedom of religion or
belief, sexual violence, and the powers and immunity granted
to the security services all remain concerning. The government
remains unwilling to acknowledge many of these challenges
and has demonstrated little commitment to reform.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a major concern in Sudan,
with 87% of women aged 15-49 reporting having undergone
some form of FGM in a recent study. However, the national
strategy to abandon FGM in a generation (2008-2018) is a
positive step.
The UKs key human rights objectives for 2015 focused on
conflict resolution, preventing sexual violence in conflict,
humanitarian access, the widening of political space and
upholding freedom of religion or belief. We continued to
support the African Union-led peace talks, and regularly
lobbied all sides to allow full access in Darfur for the
peacekeeping mission UNAMID and for humanitarian actors
across Sudan.
On 1 June, FCO Minister for Africa, James Duddridge,
highlighted our concern over the situation in Blue Nile calling
for an end to forced relocations and for humanitarian access.
With our Troika partners (the United States and Norway),
we also spoke out in April regretting the lack of a conducive
environment for elections and calling for the National Dialogue
to be comprehensive and inclusive. To help combat sexual
violence in Darfur, UK-funded projects provided legal, medical
and psycho-social support for over 150 survivors of rape, and
contributed to successful prosecutions of members of the

police and armed forces. Sudan is also the biggest recipient
of UK aid targeting the abandonment of FGM. In support
of strengthened civil and political freedoms, we attended
four trials and raised cases of concern with the government.
Internationally, we supported the renewed mandate of the
UN Independent Expert at the UN Human Rights Council.
We continued to urge the government to facilitate his work,
especially by granting access to Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
In 2016, our human rights priorities will remain conflict
resolution and humanitarian access, pressing for greater civil
and political freedoms, and tackling sexual and gender-based
violence. We will also seek to use the opportunity of Sudans
forthcoming national strategy on ending child marriage to
support improvements on the rights of the child, and continue
to work on ending the harmful practice of FGM.
Syria
In 2015, the human rights situation in Syria continued to
deteriorate as conflict intensified. The Asad regime continued
to commit human rights violations on a large scale, persistently
violated international humanitarian law (IHL), and failed to
comply with numerous UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
Regime forces continued to arbitrarily arrest, disappear, and
torture detainees, many of whom have died in detention.
The Asad regime and its allies (including Russia) carried out
indiscriminate attacks that directly targeted civilians, including
bombardment of civilian residential areas, schools, market areas
and medical facilities, with barrel bombs, artillery, aerial attacks
and mortars, resulting in mass civilian casualties. Lengthy
sieges, mainly by regime forces, led to severe malnutrition and
even starvation. The UK believes that both the Asad regime
and Daesh have used chemical weapons in Syria. Daesh has
been responsible for systematic and widespread violations
of IHL, including targeting civilians. IHL violations were also
carried out by al-Qaedas affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra,
and some other extremist groups. This violence and instability
continued to force people from their homes and increased the
numbers of internally displaced persons and those fleeing the
country as refugees.
Ultimately, the terrible human rights situation in Syria will only
be addressed through a political settlement that ends the
conflict. Through its role in the UNSC and the International
Syria Support Group, the UK is supporting a peace process
which aims to end the violence and achieve political transition
away from Asad. UNSC Resolution 2254, adopted 18
December 2015, calls for ceasefire planning and an immediate
end to attacks against civilians. The UK has been at the
forefront of promoting the participation of minority groups,
and especially women, in the peace process. We support
progress that has subsequently been made on the political
track, including the start of intra-Syrian peace talks, cessation
of hostilities, and some improvements in humanitarian access.
The UK led the adoption of three resolutions on the human
rights situation in Syria at the UN Human Rights Council
during 2015 and co-sponsored the UN General Assembly
Third Committee Resolution on the human rights situation in
Syria, which was also successfully adopted. We support the

UN Commission of Inquirys investigations into human rights
violations and abuses in Syria.
Syrian girls, carrying school bags provided by UNICEF, walk past the
rubble of destroyed buildings on their way home from school on 7
March 2015 in Aleppo.
More widely, the UK continued to play a leading role in

addressing the humanitarian situation in Syria. We have now
pledged a total of 2.3 billion in humanitarian assistance to
support Syrian refugees up to 2020. This is our largest ever
response to a single humanitarian crisis.
The UK supported a range of projects focused on human rights
and accountability amounting to 10.3 million as at the end of
2015. These programmes included the provision of capacity
building for Syrian human rights activists to gather evidence
of violations of international criminal and humanitarian law.
This evidence is intended for use in future international and/
or Syrian-led criminal and accountability processes. We
also provided IHL and Law of Armed Conflict training, and
supported womens empowerment in policing, civil defence,
and local councils inside Syria. In addition, we are working to
improve local capacity to document sexual violence in order
to strengthen future justice mechanisms and reconciliation
processes. We will continue this programme of work in 2016.
Turkmenistan
The human rights situation in Turkmenistan throughout 2015
remained of significant concern. Little progress was made
towards the implementation of its international obligations.
Movement on the reform programme, to which the
government has said it is committed, was slow. The reform
programme includes an amended constitution, the adoption
of a Human Rights Action Plan, and the appointment of an
Independent Human Rights Ombudsman. Against a backdrop
of a worsening economic situation, due to loss of revenue
from gas, 2015 saw restrictions on the internet tighten, and
space for civil society shrink still further. Widespread corruption
and the lack of freedom of assembly or religion remained
serious problems in 2015, as did an absence of government
transparency or an independent media. Turkmenistan is yet to
demonstrate that it is committed to genuine reform.
In 2015, our objectives remained consistent in continuing to

use every suitable opportunity, both bilaterally and through
international partners, to encourage the Turkmen government
to comply with its international human rights obligations
and to underline the importance of human rights reform.
Bilaterally, human rights were raised during the visits made
to Turkmenistan by the FCO Minister for Central Asia, Tobias
Ellwood, in July and December. The British Ambassador
regularly made representations to the government on human
rights issues, including on individual cases. In one case,
following lobbying over several years by the British Embassy
and other organisations, a former Turkmen Minister, who had
been barred from travelling overseas following several years
of imprisonment, was finally given permission to leave the
country for medical treatment. The British Embassy supported
projects with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
in the areas of judicial independence, racial discrimination and
educational reform, and we expect the results of these projects
will be reflected in the Human Rights Action Plan due in early
2016.
Some limited progress on human rights was discernible. For the
first time in 12 years, Turkmenistan attended the OSCE Human
Dimension meeting in Warsaw, and a long-awaited visit to a
prison by EU Ambassadors took place. However, there is much
to do, and reform needs to focus on implementation of current
human right policies, rather than new laws.
In 2016, we will continue to press for the range and pace of
reform to increase, including through the new constitution and
the Human Rights Action Plan. The British Embassy will support
the work of the UN and OSCE through the funding of human
rights projects. Presidential elections are due in 2017 (last held
in 2012 when the EU noted its concern about their conduct).
The hosting of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games will be
an opportunity for Turkmenistan to demonstrate progress on
human rights at a time when the sporting spotlight will be on
them.
Uzbekistan
In 2015, we continued to have significant concerns about the
overall human rights situation in Uzbekistan. In July, the UN
Human Rights Committee considered Uzbekistans 4th Periodic
Report on its implementation of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights. The committee found that Uzbekistan
had not taken sufficient steps to address outstanding concerns
since it underwent its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2013.
These included the lack of freedom of expression, poor criminal
justice procedures, and the use of torture against detainees.
Violations continued to be reported in 2015 by human rights
organisations, and a number of human rights defenders
were reportedly detained or harassed by the authorities. In
March, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights (ODIHR) observed Uzbekistans Presidential election. It
concluded that voters were not able to make informed choices
given that freedom of expression and association remain
curtailed. Restrictions on the activity of NGOs further reduced
50
space for constructive and open discussions on addressing

human rights problems.
However, some progress has been made, such as on child
and forced labour. The World Bank published a report [53]
in November on the 2015 cotton harvest. The report
concluded that the Uzbek authorities had taken measures
towards eliminating child labour, and that it was now socially
unacceptable and rare. The report also concluded that, whilst
the risk of forced labour remained, the Uzbek government
had agreed to address this as part of its co-operation with the
World Bank and International Labour Organisation.
Further progress was seen in the implementation of 2013/14
legislative changes aimed at improving communication
between civil society and government bodies. The FCOs
Human Rights and Democracy Programme continued to fund
a project implemented by the UN Development Programme
(UNDP) and Uzbekistans Academy of Public Administration.
It helped to reform public administration by improving public
access to information through e-governance portals and
by establishing 200 public information centres across pilot
regions. However, despite our sustained focus on ensuring full
implementation of the Convention against Torture, we saw no
substantive progress in 2015, and the Uzbek authorities refused
permission for an FCO-funded project on torture prevention.
Our key human rights objective in 2015 was to encourage
further implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP)
which was drafted to take forward 121 recommendations
following Uzbekistans UPR in 2013. We see the NAP as the
most practical vehicle for addressing a range of human rights
challenges in Uzbekistan. It was formally adopted by the Uzbek
government in early 2015, but agreement has not yet been
reached between the government and UNDP on building a
monitoring and evaluation mechanism into the plan.
In 2016 we will continue to encourage progress on this and
frame our human rights advocacy around the NAP, ahead of
Uzbekistans next UPR, in 2017.
Venezuela
In 2015, the human rights situation in Venezuela was
challenging.
There were some efforts by the state to improve this. In July,
it announced a 2015-2019 Human Rights Plan, including
proposals to reform the judiciary, prisons and security forces,
to end discrimination, and to protect vulnerable groups. It
also launched a Human Rights Commission to oversee the
plans implementation. In December, despite concerns over
the lack of international election monitoring, Venezuela held
peaceful parliamentary elections with the highest voter turnout
ever recorded. The elections were won by the opposition
Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition. However, a
continued political, economic and institutional crisis prevented
wider progress.
[53]http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/pubdocs/
publicdoc/2015/11/307241448038866033/Uzbek-2015-TPM-Report-20112015.
pdf
During 2015, UN and regional human rights bodies expressed

concern at the state of civil and political liberties and economic
and social rights in Venezuela. There were wider concerns
about institutional independence, transparency, and access to
public information. Violence remained a central issue. There
are an estimated 14 million illegal weapons in Venezuela. The
high level of impunity has encouraged worsening criminality.
Over 27,000 murders were reported in 2015.
Venezuelan society is politically polarised. This affects the work
of the public sector, NGOs and other civil society organisations.
Human rights defenders have reported intimidation and
physical attacks. Local NGOs estimate that there are over 80
political prisoners in Venezuela (the government maintains
there are no political prisoners, only politicians in prison) and
that more than 800 people have fled the country for fear of
persecution. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has
demanded the release of prominent political leaders and has
expressed serious concerns about respect for due process and
the rule of law.
The UKs objective is to promote human rights and democracy
in Venezuela, with a focus on working with all sectors of
society to promote dialogue and reduce violence, strengthen
democratic governance and civil society, and promote the
rights of women and girls. The UK aims to work constructively
to address our human rights concerns through public and
private channels, including on areas of disagreement. The
challenge has been to build consensus on action with the
Venezuelan government. Since 2012, the UK has funded 22
human rights and democracy projects in Venezuela with local
organisations and government institutions. These projects
include protecting indigenous rights, supporting political
dialogue and promoting electoral reform.
A worsening economic situation, increasing violence and
escalating political confrontation increase the probability that
conditions will toughen in 2016, making tackling human rights
issues more difficult. Project work with civil society may also
become more difficult. From January to June, the UK will lead
the local EU Working Group on Human Rights and Democracy.
We will also work with official and non-official entities in the
run-up to Venezuelas second Universal Periodic Review at the
UN Human Rights Council in October 2016.
Yemen
The overall human rights situation in Yemen significantly
deteriorated in 2015. Human rights violations and abuses
in Yemen took place on a large scale, including: the use
of child soldiers; attacks on journalists and human rights
defenders (HRDs); arbitrary detentions; destruction of civilian
infrastructure; damage to Yemens cultural heritage; and the
lack of progress on improving the rights of women. Internal
conflict further impeded the legitimate Yemeni authorities and
undermined the protection of universal rights. On 1 July, the
UN declared Yemen to be a Level Three Emergency, making
Yemen one of the four most severe, large-scale humanitarian
crises in the world.
The conflict has had a significant impact on civilians. The

International Committee of the Red Cross warned that civilian
suffering in Yemen had reached unprecedented levels.
Civilians were also the victims of terrorist attacks in Yemen.
The UN reported that the use of children in armed conflict
increased in 2015. Reports of gender-based violence were
twice as numerous in December as in March.
There have been continued reports that the Houthis and forces
loyal to ex-President Saleh have arbitrarily arrested, detained
and abducted government supporters and HRDs. The NGO
Reporters Without Borders reported that the Houthis and AlQaeda-linked armed groups were holding around 17 journalists
hostage.
The UK supported a UN Human Rights Council resolution
in October, which called on the UN to provide technical
assistance to the government of Yemen, assist the Yemeni
National Independent Commission of Inquiry, and report back
to the next session of the HRC.
Throughout 2015, we raised the importance of respect for
human rights law with the Coalition, the government of
Yemen, and the Houthis. The UK has emphasised repeatedly
to all parties, throughout the conflict, the importance of
protecting civilians. We have supported the UN in their
lobbying of the Houthis to stop using child soldiers.
The UK continued to support the UN-led peace process in
2015, politically and financially, recognising that a political
solution is the best way to bring about long-term stability. UNconvened peace talks were held in June and December, where
progress was made on confidence-building measures. The UK
supported the UN Special Envoy in including women in the
peace process. There was 20% female representation in both
delegations at the December round of talks.
In 2016, the UK will continue to support the UN-led peace
process to bring a political solution to the conflict, and call for
all parties to improve humanitarian and commercial access. The
UK is the fourth largest donor in response to this crisis, having
more than doubled humanitarian aid to Yemen in 2016 to 85
million. The UK will continue to raise the importance of human
rights law and protection of civilians with all parties.
Zimbabwe
In 2015, the human rights situation in Zimbabwe remained
fragile. Although conditions have improved since 2008,
violations still occur. Harassment and discrimination continue
to make up more than 60% of reported incidents. There have
been increasing reports of discrimination in the implementation
of government-controlled food aid programmes. There is
periodic use of violence by the state, especially during election
periods. However, due to some improvement in citizens civil
liberties, Freedom House recently improved Zimbabwes status
from Not Free to Partly Free in its Freedom in the World
report. Ahead of the 2018 elections, it is essential that reforms
are made to the electoral system, including ensuring the full
independence of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
In 2015, the UKs human rights work in Zimbabwe focused
on monitoring and reducing the overall number of recorded
human rights violations, encouraging effective implementation

and compliance with the 2013 constitution, improving property
rights, and further developing democratic space. UK funding
supported improved access to justice for vulnerable people,
helped provide child protection services and contributed to
a successful constitutional court challenge to the legality of
child marriage. We spoke out through statements and in
private meetings with the government of Zimbabwe about
the importance of state institutions complying with the
2013 constitution, particularly with regard to evictions and
demolitions.
Progress in 2015 was patchy and a number of issues remain.
Citizens ability to enjoy their rights continues to be defined
by their political affiliation. Intra- and inter-party violence
continues at a low level, with worrying peaks around byelections. Compliance with court decisions by police is
inconsistent, and there have been repeated violations of
constitutional protections in regard to eviction and demolition
of properties, affecting both black and white communities.
Remaining issues of concern include slow progress to revise
repressive legislation in line with the 2013 constitution,
restrictions on the freedom of the media, and preferential
treatment of ruling party supporters in the distribution of
food aid. The government of Zimbabwe has still not properly
investigated the disappearance of political activist Itai Dzamara.
LGB&T rights are not protected under the Constitution. The
death penalty remains on the statute book, although there is a
de facto moratorium in place.
In 2016 the UK government will continue to encourage timely
revision of repressive Zimbabwean legislation to align it with
the 2013 constitution; support the efforts of local civil society
organisations to have constitutional provisions enforced;
monitor trends in frequency and severity of rights violations,
including political violence, intimidation and politicised access
to humanitarian aid; and support access to justice programmes.
We will call on the government of Zimbabwe to respect the
provisions of the Constitution, particularly regarding eviction
and demolition of property, and support those who seek to
have these protections enforced. The UK government urges the
government of Zimbabwe to follow the decisions of its courts
in disputed land seizure cases. We will continue to support
efforts to build a more democratic, stable and prosperous
Zimbabwe.
52
I Human Rights and Democracy: The 2015 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report
ANNEX A: Three Human Rights Themes: Vision And Goals
Democratic Values and Rule of Law

We will promote and defend the core values of successful societies, specifically the democratic freedoms and equalities
which encourage public participation and support human dignity. The core message is that promoting the golden
thread of democracy, the rule of law, property rights, a free media and open, accountable institutions can contribute
to stable, progressive and prosperous societies.
Work in this area will aim to:

>> promote open societies, reverse the trend towards shrinking civil society space,
and support public participation in democratic decision making;
>> support the role of human rights defenders;
>> ensure increased representation of women in political and public life, especially in leadership
positions, and global reduction in violence against women and girls; and
>> tackle intolerance and discrimination of all kinds, including against LGB&T people.
In practical terms, this will include:
>> working with international partners, including through the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and the
Community of Democracies, to increase the number of states opting to strengthen democratic processes and build
accountable institutions. Goal: (i) During 2016, we will increase support for WFDs capacity to deliver integrated projects
(which combine sister party work with other forms of institution-building), and to collaborate with practitioners and
academia on research and policy initiatives. (ii) Also during 2016, we will collaborate with the EU Special Representative
on Human Rights to strengthen the impact of the EUs new Human Rights Defenders Mechanism. (iii) We will use
International Womens Day and World Press Freedom Day to showcase UK values and leadership on connected issues,
employing network-wide activities to focus our international partners on relevant obligations and opportunities;
>> continuing to promote an open and secure internet, as a founding member of the Freedom Online Coalition
(FoC), working to increase the number of countries which subscribe to the Coalitions aspirations. Goal:
(iv) During 2016 we will join the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies and focus the
organisation on global threats to civil society, as well as opportunities for mutually reinforcing initiatives
with the FoC. Four additional countries identified and invited to apply for FoC membership; and
>> engaging with a targeted number of priority countries to support the implementation of the UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs); and work with Home Office and other Departments to
build on the UKs leadership against Modern Slavery. Goal: (v) During 2016, we will use the republished
UK National Action Plan (NAP) to strengthen international consensus around the UNGP voluntary
approach, including by encouraging the production of NAPs by EU and non-EU countries.
II
Human Rights for a Stable World

We will work to prevent extremism by tackling some of its root causes and the environments that enable it to prosper.
We will do this by standing up for universal human rights in all the UKs efforts to prevent and resolve conflict, terrorism
and extremism, and by making the protection of human rights a tool for preventing extremist views from taking root.

>> promote respect for human rights, including freedom of religion or belief as part of the
answer to tackling terrorism and the ideology which drives extremism;
>> embed human rights in UK approaches to conflict, security and stability. Defend the freedom
of all people to have, adopt and manifest a religion or belief in peace and safety;
>> ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides about the dangers of letting
prejudice continue unchecked are not forgotten, including by future generations;
>> use UK overseas interventions on security and justice to promote human rights, and ensure our assistance
does no harm; provide human rights expertise to the arms export licensing process; and
>> support effective multilateral initiatives, in particular those under the UN Secretary Generals
Preventing Violent Extremism Action Plan to combat extremism and promote stability;
>> working bilaterally (and through the multilateral system, below) for global abolition of the death penalty and
prevention of torture. Goal: (vi) On the death penalty, we will respond to imminent executions with diplomatic
activity tailored for greatest local impact, while building pressure in favour of moratoria / abolition, using best
available data for the number of executions (Amnesty International reports for most countries, supplemented by
Embassy reporting elsewhere, e.g. China); and votes for the moratorium cast biennially at the UN General Assembly.
(vii) On torture, we will focus on securing ratifications of the Convention against Torture and its optional protocol,
while responding to Embassy and NGO reporting (e.g. Association for the Prevention of Torture database of prison
issues). (viii) In support of these and related objectives, we will champion across Whitehall and the FCO network
abroad use of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) guidelines as a programmatic tool and an
effective way to mitigate risks associated with engagement in countries with poor human rights records;
>> focusing the FCO network to report trends, consider projects, raise individual cases and help host countries
develop Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) action plans to combat the root causes of extremism and tackle
prejudice, especially through promoting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and associated human rights. Goal:
(ix) We will ensure that more UN member state PVE Action Plans incorporate human rights elements. The Human
Rights and Democracy Department (HRDD) will convene a conference during 2016 entitled: Combating Violent
Extremism by building inclusive and pluralist societies: How protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief can help;
>> extensive multilateral work, including through the International Contact Group on FoRB, UN mechanisms
and the Istanbul Process, working through the EU, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) and Commonwealth, including by explaining the UK governments pioneering work to combat
hate crime. Goal: (x) We will help international organisations focus on practical solutions, as opposed
to ideological differences (e.g. no return to polarisation around defamation of religions);
>> contributing to the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) and
ensuring that it tackles human rights issues through some of its projects;
>> supporting projects that tackle causes of discrimination against individuals on the basis of
their religion or belief (see Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy strategy,
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/human-rights-and-democracy-programme);
>> supporting Sir Eric Pickles, UK Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, as he seeks to build greater
international consensus on learning the lessons of the Holocaust and tackling prejudice;
>> supporting our network to raise issues bilaterally by providing guidance, toolkits and How to... notes;
>> raising the religious literacy of our staff to help them understand the religious roots of extremism through training
in religion and foreign policy. Goal: (xi) Per annum, we will provide two two-day training courses hosted by the
Diplomatic Academy on religion and foreign policy for FCO staff and other Whitehall practitioners; and at least four
lunchtime seminars. We will play an active role in the Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion and Foreign Policy; and
>> organising events such as the Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration in the FCO.
III Human Rights and Democracy: The 2015 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report
Strengthening the Rules-Based International System

We will continue to protect and advance universal human rights in multilateral fora.

>> encourage better fulfilment by states of their international human rights obligations, increasing pressure on
repressive states and holding member states to account for human rights violations; help states through
transition by supporting stability and reform efforts; and work to increase international willingness to act early,
including in the field, to ensure faster international response to severe human rights violations and abuses;
>> work with the UKs Missions in New York and Geneva, UKREP Brussels and the UKs delegations in Strasbourg
and Vienna to promote our values and support positive reform of international human rights mechanisms;
>> deliver on our pledges for UN Human Rights Council (HRC) membership: strengthening the protection of human
rights in the UNs work; translating the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development into action, leaving no one
behind; making a stand for freedom of religion or belief at a time when too many are persecuted for their
beliefs; working to end violence against women and promote their full participation and leadership in political
and economic life; and promoting open societies and challenging the threats to civil society. We will continue
to be one of the top donors to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); and
>> deliver UK human rights and democracy objectives through the EU (external human
rights Action Plan), the Council of Europe, and OSCE (Human Dimension).
>> campaigning for re-election to the HRC for a second consecutive term, 2017-19 (pledges
available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/un-human-rights-council-unitedkingdom-2017-2019-candidate). Goal: (xii) re-election in autumn 2016;
>> engaging regularly with NGOs and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), for example by holding
a briefing event prior to each HRC and attending NGO side events during HRCs where possible;
>> making best use of expertise across HRDD and the UKs Missions in New York and Geneva in deploying
negotiators to support the UK delegation at HRCs and UN Third Committee sessions;
>> working in close partnership with other Government Departments and Devolved Administrations, acting as a
source of expertise on the UN system, especially in preparing the UK for UN inquiries into our implementation
of human rights treaties; facilitating visits to the UK by UN Special Rapporteurs and Committees;
>> supporting UN treaty bodies and mechanisms, for example on best practice for Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Goal:
(xiii) We will increase the number of states seeking technical assistance from the OHCHR, and OHCHRs ability to
respond. We will provide direct financial assistance to OHCHR, and indirect assistance: by coordinating donor initiatives,
helping OHCHR to diversify its donor base, and by supporting the UN Secretary Generals Rights Up Front initiative.
(xiv) We will help the Commonwealth lead by example on implementation of the UNs Sustainable Development
Goals, including by helping Commonwealth partners engage wholeheartedly with the UN process of UPR. (xv)
We will enhance the influence of NHRIs, in the Commonwealth and beyond, including by funding the provision of
secretariat services to the Commonwealth Forum of NHRIs by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission;
>> representing the UK in the EU human rights working group (COHOM); and
>> working through the EU, Council of Europe, OSCE, and Commonwealth to secure UK objectives.
Goal: (xvi) We will reinforce the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, with material support
for the Representatives office and political support for the Representatives mandate.
We are campaigning for re-election to the Human Rights Council for a second consecutive term
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferr. www.unmultimedia.org/photo/
IV
V Human Rights and Democracy: The 2015 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report
ANNEX B: FCO Human Rights Programme Funding

In 2015, the majority of the FCOs human rights projects were funded through the Human Rights and Democracy Programme
(HRDP), the FCOs dedicated strategic programme to promote and protect human rights overseas. Since 2011, the HRDP has
funded over 300 projects in more than sixty countries worldwide, to a value in excess of 20 million. This figure does not include
FCO human rights activity funded through the cross-government Conflict Stability and Security Fund, which also helps to promote
democracy and the rule of law in National Security Council (NSC) priority countries; nor does it include expenditure on human
rights work from the bilateral funds administered by Embassies and High Commissions.
At a glance: the geographical spread of our 2015-16 Human

Rights and Democracy Programme projects
Countries where FCO funded Human Rights and

Democracy project(s) in FY2015-16
In the financial year 2015-16, the HRDP spent approximately 5.5

million on 75 projects in over 40 countries across the globe*.
These projects supported local and international civil society organisations to build capacity, press for change and
engage in constructive dialogue on human rights with host governments. The countries covered by our 2015-16
programme are shown in the above map and examples of HRDP-funded projects can be found throughout this report.
*NB: this map does not include any sensitive or multi-country projects
VI
Baroness Anelay at the launch of the Magna Carta Partnerships

fund in London, 15 September 2015.
Financial Year 2016-17: Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights & Democracy
Project proposals are considered annually by the Human Rights and Democracy Department through a competitive bidding
process. The bidding round for 2016-17 projects launched on 18 January 2016, at which the Minister for Human Rights, Baroness
Anelay, announced that the programme would be renamed the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights & Democracy (MCF) and
that the programme budget would double to 10.6m its highest ever level. This outcome is the result of the FCOs bid for
additional programme resources in the 2015 Spending Review; a bid based on the programmes record of successful projects,
its utility for the global FCO network, and its strategic potential. The increased size of the fund for 2016 will enable the FCO to
achieve greater impact across its three new human rights themes. We will do this by fully implementing the strategy[54] for this
Fund. Projects for 2016-17 will begin in May 2016. We set out how we ensure this fund delivers value for money in Baroness
Anelays letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee[55].
[54]https://www.gov.uk/guidance/human-rights-and-democracy-programme
[55]http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/foreign-affairs-committee/the-foreign-and-commonwealth-officesadministration-and-funding-of-its-human-rights-work-overseas/written/30935.pdf
Communications Team,
Human Rights and Democracy Department,
Room WH.1.175, Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH

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Human Rights

The 2015 Foreign &

Human Rights & Democracy

Crown copyright 2016

Designed in-house by the FCO Communication Directorate

Cover image: UNHCR/Kate Holt

Preface by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond............................................ 2

Business and Human Rights..................................................................................................... 12

CHAPTER II: Human Rights for a Stable World..........................................15

Death Penalty and Torture Prevention .................................................................................... 18

CHAPTER III Strengthening the Rules Based International System.......... 25

CHAPTER IV: Human Rights Priority Countries .......................................... 35

ANNEX A: Three Human Rights Themes: Vision And Goals.......................... I

Preface by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond

The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP

Foreword by Minister for Human Rights Baroness Anelay

parliamentarians and others with relevant expertise. I wanted

Following the general election in May, I reviewed our

Our approach gives the FCOs network the freedom it needs

We decided to focus human rights work around three themes:

Government Meeting) in 2013, an adversarial resolution at the

The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE

CHAPTER I: Democratic Values and the Rule of Law

the Magna Carta 800 Global Tour. Hereford Cathedrals 1217

The Magna Carta Partnerships fund...

worth over 100k.

the rule of law and Magna Carta at the King Prajadhipoks

to voter education programmes. Through DFIDs Deepening

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)[1]

condemned the impunity often seen in such cases, and

rose to 29 during 2015, with Australia, New Zealand, Norway

Restriction of Civil Society Space

Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)

This is particularly apparent in Syria where women are at risk

in Mindanao in the Philippines, to engaging male leaders and

A workshop for women victims of violence run by Sisters For Change

Violence against women and girls occurs in peaceful societies

We are aware of the particular concerns around violence

governments such as in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is already a

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and

the Peoples Forum. UK also supported a further cross-regional

Much of our work on child rights is focused at the UN. At the

with the Global Alliance Against Child Sexual Abuse Online to

[6] Anguilla; Bermuda, Cayman Islands; the Falkland Islands; Gibraltar;

Looking ahead to 2016

upcoming reviews of UK government compliance under CRC[16],

Business and Human Rights

[16] The International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

[17] International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

[18] International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial

statement on the steps they have taken to ensure that their

calls on states to substantially reduce corruption in all its

At the HRC in June, the UK supported a resolution recognising

The Department for International Developments

Water and sanitation

[1] See http://www.unicef.org/protection/files/6.1057_DFID_AR_Girl_

CHAPTER II: Human Rights for a Stable World

Migration and Refugee Crisis

The Prime Ministers focus was on securing a comprehensive

The majority of Daeshs victims in Iraq, Syria, Libya and

a durable political transition in Syria and inclusive government,

The UK acts to underpin international security and justice